Odell Beckham Jr. officially joined the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad on Wednesday, a wild turn for the 33-year-old receiver after a brief return to the New York Giants ended with zero receptions. I mean, seriously, can you believe this? OBJ on a practice squad feels like something out of a movie script that got rejected for being too unrealistic.
The Giants Comeback That Wasn’t
Let’s rewind a second. Beckham, the guy the Giants drafted way back in 2014, signed back with them, and for a minute, you thought maybe, just maybe, there’d be some magic. But nope. After playing in three games, the Giants cut him loose on September 29th. The stats from that “comeback” are brutal: zero receptions. Zip. Nada. He only saw the field for a grand total of 20 offensive snaps across those three games, with a pathetic six snaps in his final appearance, which, by the way, was a 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans in Game 3. It’s tough to watch a player of his past caliber fall like that, right?
A Familiar Face, A Massive Question Mark for the 4-0 Vikings
So, why the Vikings’ practice squad? Well, there’s a connection. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was Beckham’s offensive coordinator back in the 2021 NFL season when they were both with the Los Angeles Rams. That history clearly played a role here. But let’s talk about the Vikings for a sec: they’re absolutely rolling at 4-0! Undefeated. And now they’re bringing in OBJ to the practice squad. What gives?
The big elephant in the room has to be Justin Jefferson. The All-Pro wide receiver missed Sunday’s win against the Miami Dolphins because of an ankle sprain, and his status for Week 5 is still up in the air. The Vikings are set to take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Could this be a contingency plan? A way to kick the tires on OBJ to see if he’s got anything left for the big show? You gotta wonder what the coaching staff is thinking here. Does OBJ even get a shot at the active roster?
The Vikings are flying high, but adding a name like Beckham, even to the practice squad, while your star receiver is sidelined, definitely stirs the pot. Keep an eye on that Week 5 matchup against the Saints. Every snap, every roster move, it all matters when you’re 4-0 and trying to keep that momentum going.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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