All the way back in 2018, Odell Beckham Jr. was last seen sporting the New York Giants’ iconic blue and white. A whopping eight years, four teams, two torn ACLs later, he jogged out at MetLife Stadium in the same colors for the preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings.
Beckham had a rough breakup with the Dolphins in 2024. Since his release from Miami, Beckham also served a six-game NFL suspension for a PED violation dating to his time with the Dolphins and went unsigned through all of 2025. Hence, after all the struggles that lasted over a year and a half, when the three-time Pro Bowler took the field, fans went crazy.
Fans Go Crazy Upon Witnessing Odell Beckham Jr. In Action vs Vikings
Beckham’s knee injuries well and truly punctured the spirits of his fans who were looking to see him in action in 2025. While that didn’t materialize, he decided to give his OG fans a reason to cheer when he signed a veteran minimum $1.3 million deal with the Giants this year.
As a result, his comeback to the field on Saturday against the Vikings caused the decibel levels to rise all the way up. While some chanted his name, many got emotional seeing the superstar back in action.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared the video of Giants fans cheering on Beckham when the wideout checked in the game. Rapoport wrote, “The crowd going nuts for Odell…”
The crowd going nuts for Odell… pic.twitter.com/5VzuP7DUPX
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 15, 2026
One fan saw the video and wrote, “The prodigal son returns.”
Another fan on X added, “If you’re a Giant fan this is a wholesome moment here. Crazy OBJ is back with this team.”
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Betr’s account saw Beckham’s return and posted, “Crying in the club rn.”
Alex Insdorf shared a GIF of Vince McMahon being emotional as his reaction to Beckham playing for the Giants again.
https://t.co/Nz1VwRs5Ek pic.twitter.com/2tHwTrF2a2
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) August 15, 2026
PFN’s account on X shared how well Beckham performed with the Giants based on PFN’s WR Impact Metric.
OBJ’s career grades in PFN’s WR Impact metric 📊
Those first few seasons were special 🤧 pic.twitter.com/j0hqYt5EJW
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) August 15, 2026
One fan took notice of Beckham’s jersey number (#3) and wrote, “Get him in 13 and we’re good.”
Another fan called out Jalin Hyatt for still keeping the #13 jersey, as he said, “Enough of the (expletive). Tell Hyatt to give OBJ 13 back.”
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Eli Racks reacted and wrote, “OBJ still has something left. Just saying.”
ESPN’s Sam Block said, “OBJ. New York Giants legend. Back where he belongs.”
Complex Sports’ account on X got emotional and posted, “Tears in my eyes 😭 OBJ really back home.”
Tears in my eyes 😭
OBJ really back home.
(🎥: @NFL) pic.twitter.com/SP3bNb1VEa
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) August 15, 2026
While Beckham has got a chance to yet again show his prowess for the Giants, fans might have to wait for a while to see his regular-season heroics, especially if things don’t go as planned in the preseason for the veteran.
The presence of WRs like Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Calvin Austin means that Beckham, who started camp down on the depth chart, would have to really turn the clock back to earn a stable starting role.
However, coach John Harbaugh has liked the way Beckham has progressed. “He’s looked good. He’s in shape. He’s taking every rep he’s supposed to take in practice,” Harbaugh said before the Vikings game. “I feel like he’s getting stronger every day. He’s in a good place.”
The support for Beckham in New York isn’t just nostalgia-driven. Fans genuinely believe his experience can make Jaxson Dart’s life easier.
