John Harbaugh Keeping Door Open for Potential OBJ-Giants Reunion

East Rutherford, NJ - The New York Giants and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. continue to engage in an open dialogue regarding a potential reunion, but head coach John Harbaugh said that, as of now, nothing is imminent.

“The goal right now is for him to train and get as ready as he can be,” Harbaugh said following the second day of the team’s rookie minicamp. “Then we’ll see where we’re at at that time.”

The 33-year-old Beckham was a first-round pick for the Giants in 2014, who logged four 1,000-yard seasons out of five with Big Blue. He was traded to Cleveland following the 2018 season and would go on to win a Super Bowl with the Rams before spending a year with Harbaugh in Baltimore.

Along the way, Beckham had two ACL injuries that cost him seasons. But Harbaugh, out of respect for Beckham, who has made no secret of the fact that he’d like to return to the Giants, perhaps to finish out his career, has kept the lines of communication open.

“It’s got to be right for both parties,” Harbaugh said. “Odell wants to be the kind of player that can make a difference.”

So can he?

“I’m pretty sure that he can make a team in the National Football League right now,” Harbaugh added.

“Can he make a difference? Is it something he wants to do? Is his body going to hold up the way he wants it to? All those things are questions that need to get answered for anybody at that age.”

While Beckham believes he can make a difference, Harbaugh didn’t answer the question.

“You know Odell. He’s confident. He’s working hard. He believes in himself,” Harbaugh said.

“I think we’ll just play it out over the next month and into training camp and see where we’re at.”

What could ultimately sway a reunion

The Giants could very well be taking a wait-and-see approach regarding their other receivers on the roster, particularly regarding WR1 Malik Nabers's recovery from a knee injury.

While the Giants remain optimistic that Nabers will be ready to go, there has long been hedging every time the topic has been brought up to Harbaugh or general manager Joe Schoen, which has left open the door for the possibility that Nabers might begin training camp on the PUP list as he continues to strengthen his surgically repaired knee.

If Nabers does have to miss time, bringing in Beckham could be a nice temporary option, assuming Beckham still has something to offer the offense.

Harbaugh, however, sounds like he’s not convinced that's the case, at least not as of right now.

Whether he changes his mind once Nabers’s status is updated remains to be seen.

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