Saturday's preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings contained a few firsts and milestones for the New York Giants.
It was the debut of John Harbaugh as head coach and several other new faces of the franchise, such as rookies Arvell Reese, Francis Mauigoa and Malachi Fields.
The day featured another special attraction -- the return of star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
OBJ, who last played for the Giants in 2018, got a warm welcome from the crowd and even caught two passes in the game. He looked very much like his old self running routes and, if the quarterbacks had a bit more patience, may have connected with him on a big play or two.
But the real story of the day was simply Beckham's presence again in a Giants uniform.
"It was everything
I was expecting it to be,” Beckham told The New York Post of his return after the game. “Just the love to be able to be back here in a place I’ve done special things. It was a special moment with a lot of emotions going into it, so you kind of have to check them and make sure you don’t burn too much energy too early.”
More from Ryan Dunleavy of The Post:
Making his first appearance in a Giants uniform since he was still a phenom, Beckham soaked in the pregame juice as fans shouted his name in the corner of the end zone where he caught passes and bobbed his head during warmups. He ran over and hugged his son, who is part of the inspiration for his return to the Giants and the family message that “Beckhams Don’t Quit.”
“Any time he is in my presence, it’s like the world stops for me,” Beckham told The Post. “It’s like there is no noise. It’s my safe place. Seeing him now understand everything that’s going on, I want to be the best role model I can for him. Along with him, it’s also for myself. There were a lot of battles that were fought to get back here.”
HEARTWARMING: Legendary #Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. shared an emotional moment with his young son on the field after returning to New York.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) August 15, 2026
OBJ says his son was a major reason he came back — to show him NEVER to give up.
This is awesome to see ❤️ pic.twitter.com/8YLY5z7DnV
Harbaugh was pleased with the situation as well. He has previously coached Beckham with the Baltimore Ravens and is all-in on the former All-Pro's comeback bid.
"I thought he looked pretty good," Harbaugh said. "Made a couple catches, you know, did some things, some things he could have done better. He'll be the first guy to tell you that. But I thought he looked solid, I would say."
The best part of the day, maybe, for the Giants was the warm welcome the fans gave OBJ as he entered the game.
"It was fun," Harbaugh said. "I mean, I love Odell. I do. What he's doing, what he's fighting for, I don't know how it's going to turn out. It's going to turn out the way it turns out, based on what happens. But to see his fight, his determination, his humility. He's got his son in camp the other day, you know, he's doing it for his son. You know, that just, as a friend, that makes me really proud of him."
What will the fans do if OBJ makes it all the way back and can help this team win? He feels he still has it, and it's only a matter of time before everyone sees that.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Odell Beckham's Giants return came with message for son: 'Beckhams don't quit'
