Odell Beckham Jr. joined the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad on Wednesday after head coach Kevin O’Connell reached out following the receiver’s release from the New York Giants.
The 33-year-old said the move felt right because he already knew the coach from their time together in Los Angeles. Beckham spent part of the 2021 season with the Rams while O’Connell served as offensive coordinator.
“I was with KO in LA, and I say I had a great time while I was there with him. He’s just somebody who, you know, I’ve watched come over here and always knew when he was over there like he was built, you know, for what he’s doing now,” Beckham said.
“He had extreme confidence and belief and, you know, texted me, and it’s always good to be, you know, somewhere you’re wanted. He was the one that reached out and kind of made this whole thing happen. Life happens fast, but life in the NFL definitely happens. It feels like it happens faster. It was just a situation that came up and it seemed right.”
Minnesota (4-0) added the veteran ahead of Sunday’s game at the New Orleans Saints (1-3). The team also signed receiver Jeshaun Jones to the practice squad and designated center Michael Jurgens and tight end Ben Yurosek to return from injured reserve.
Beckham appeared in three games for the Giants this season after signing in June. He recorded zero catches on one target across 19 snaps before New York released him on Sept. 29.
His career totals stand at 575 receptions for 7,987 yards and 59 touchdowns in 122 games. He earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2014, made three Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl LVI with the Rams.
During the 2021 regular season with Los Angeles, Beckham caught 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns after joining midseason. He added 21 catches for 288 yards and two scores in the playoffs, including a 17-yard touchdown that opened the Super Bowl before he left with an injury.
In the NFC Championship Game that year, he had nine receptions for 113 yards as the Rams erased a 10-point second-half deficit to beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17.
Beckham sat out the entire 2025 season after a six-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. He went unsigned the rest of that year.
In 2024 with the Miami Dolphins, he finished with nine catches for 55 yards in nine games. He also spent time with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023.
The Vikings’ receiver group has dealt with limited production behind Justin Jefferson. Jefferson sprained an ankle in Week 3, sat out Week 4 and remains questionable for Sunday. Jauan Jennings has two catches for nine yards on four targets in three games.
O’Connell said Beckham arrived in good shape after what amounted to an extra bye week and that his preseason tape looked strong. The coach expects the receiver to pick up the offense quickly enough to be an option if needed against the Saints.
Beckham, a New Orleans native and former LSU player, is friends with Jefferson. He overlapped one college season with Jefferson’s older brother Jordan.
The Vikings rank near the bottom of the league in passing yards per game through four weeks while sitting at 4-0. Adding a proven red-zone option gives them another body while Jefferson works back and the depth chart sorts itself out.
