As he continues to search for his next NFL team, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed the full details of WR Odell Beckham Jr.’s punishment. The three-time Pro Bowler and two-time Second-team All-Pro violated one of the league’s policies, which gave the league no choice but to hand down a punishment. Starting on October 7, it will begin to appear on the NFL wire.
Why was WR Odell Beckham Jr. Handed a Six-Game Suspension?
Beckham, who last played on December 8, 2024, was recently suspended for six games for a PED violation. After spending nine games last season with the Miami Dolphins, QB Tua Tagovailoa and company would’ve loved to see him return after the news of WR Tyreek Hill’s injury. While Beckham could still return this season, it will be in the distant future.
Free-agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. told @thepivot that he is accepting a six-game suspension for a PED violation last season. The suspension will appear on today’s NFL wire.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2025
Ultimately, Beckham’s NFL career has been a rollercoaster. The 2014 No. 12 overall pick spent his first five years with the New York Giants. He played just four games in 2017 due to injury, but finished with 1,000+ yards in each of his other seasons with the team. From there, he spent a few years in Cleveland before things went south.
That said, Beckham won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. QB Matthew Stafford was going to rely heavily on Beckham against the Cincinnati Bengals, but once again, an injury held him back. Beckham did not return until the 2023 season, where he had 35 receptions for 565 yards with a trio of touchdowns from QB Lamar Jackson.
With NFL fans anticipating Beckham’s next move, it’s one that isn’t likely to happen until mid-November, if at all. In 2024, Beckham had just nine receptions in nine games. He was targeted 18 times, but could only turn those nine receptions into 55 yards. Never before did Beckham see his average yards per reception under 10, but last year it was 6.1.
2024 also marked one of just two years in which Beckham failed to haul in a touchdown. Shockingly, he had three in his four-game 2017 season. Beckham could not find the end zone as part of his six-game slate to start the 2021 season in Cleveland.
As part of PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, Beckham has never seen a season with a grade higher than a C. In fact, two of his three qualified seasons ended in a C, with the other being a C-. He was never ranked higher than WR39, which he hasn’t reached since 2019. Now, he’ll be stuck waiting his turn again before a team decides to give the veteran one last chance to make an impact.