John Harbaugh says the New York Giants could not turn Odell Beckham Jr.’s return into a productive role, and the head coach is accepting responsibility for a reunion that ended after three games.
Speaking Wednesday, one day after New York released Beckham, Harbaugh said he had wanted to use the receiver more but the arrangement had not delivered what the team needed.
“We just weren’t getting enough. It just wasn’t working for us,” Harbaugh said.
"We just weren't getting enough. It just wasn't working for us. I wanted to be able to give more, I wanted him to be able to do more. I wanted to get him on the field more."
John Harbaugh says "put it on us" with regard to the release of Odell Beckham Jr.: pic.twitter.com/FtLRrpJMk2
— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) September 30, 2026
The Giants’ decision also came with a practical roster consequence. New York promoted Braxton Berrios and Charlie Jones from the practice squad Tuesday, adding two receivers as it moved on from Beckham and placed outside linebacker Brian Burns on injured reserve.
For Beckham, the outcome was a sharp reversal from the optimism surrounding his return to the franchise where he became a star. For Harbaugh, Wednesday’s explanation centered on whether the current roster was giving the Giants enough to win.
Harbaugh takes responsibility for the failed fit
Harbaugh did not portray the release as a dispute with Beckham. The coach described a difficult conversation with a player he still considers a friend and expressed hope that Beckham would find another opportunity.
He also rejected the suggestion that Beckham’s popularity or the attention surrounding him had driven the decision. Harbaugh said the move reflected what he believed would help the team, while acknowledging that the Giants had not found a way to get more out of the receiver.
“I’m not hiding anything. It’s not Watergate,” Harbaugh said.
"I'm not hiding anything. It's not Watergate. We're trying to be the best team we can be this week."
John Harbaugh expands on the reasons for the Giants parting with Odell Beckham Jr.: pic.twitter.com/fmdUEytl3I
— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) September 30, 2026
That explanation arrived only days after Harbaugh had publicly welcomed the idea of a larger role for Beckham. Asked on Sept. 25 about getting him more involved against the Tennessee Titans, Harbaugh sounded receptive.
“I would think Sunday would be great. I would be all for it for Sunday,” he said then.
The contrast matters: Friday’s answer expressed a hope for more involvement, but it did not establish that Beckham had secured a bigger place in the game plan. By Tuesday, the Giants had decided to use his roster spot elsewhere.
Why the Giants needed room for Braxton Berrios
Beckham’s limited usage helps explain the move. He played 19 snaps across three games, citing Next Gen Stats, with one target and no receptions.
Malik Nabers, Malachi Fields and Darnell Mooney had accounted for every other target to a Giants wide receiver through that stretch. Beckham was not contributing on special teams, leaving him without another established way to affect games when the offense went elsewhere.
Berrios presented a different roster calculation. New York’s punt returner had exhausted his practice-squad elevations, forcing a decision about putting him on the active roster.
Berrios and Jones were signed from the practice squad on the same day Beckham was released and Burns went on injured reserve. These were two additions paired with two departures from the active roster, rather than a single receiver replacing Beckham’s offensive workload.
Berrios’ background illustrates the value New York was retaining. He has first-team All-Pro recognition as a kick returner with the Jets in 2021, when he averaged 30.4 yards on kickoff returns and scored on a 102-yard return.
Jones also was not arriving with the receiving production of an established starter. He has eight catches for 69 yards across his first three seasons with Cincinnati. The transactions should not be read as a promise that either addition will suddenly command a large share of New York’s passing game.
Beckham had viewed making the roster as a beginning
The short second stint is particularly striking against what Beckham said after surviving the preseason roster decisions.
In the Giants’ Aug. 31 transcript, Beckham described the unfamiliar pressure of having to earn a place rather than knowing one would be available. He said making the team had been emotional, but also emphasized that he still needed to improve and produce.
“I was given the opportunity, but I wasn’t given making it here where I’m at,” Beckham said.
He described leadership as part of the role he envisioned and said he had asked the coaches to maintain demanding expectations. His own comments framed the comeback as a competitive opportunity, with making the roster only the first step.
The franchise history made that opportunity resonate. In announcing his return to No. 13 on Sept. 1, the Giants highlighted his 390 catches, 5,476 receiving yards and 44 touchdown receptions during his first five seasons with the team.
Those totals came in 59 games from 2014 through 2018. The team also noted that his average of 92.8 receiving yards per game led Giants players with at least 50 appearances, underscoring how productive his original run had been.
The second stint offered no comparable foothold in the offense. His past explained the excitement, but the early-season usage showed how different his present role had become.
What comes next for Beckham and the Giants
Beckham is not expected to join New York’s practice squad. Harbaugh’s Wednesday comments left open the possibility of another team giving him a chance, without identifying a destination or establishing that a deal was imminent.
For the Giants, the receiver changes are part of a wider adjustment after Jaxson Dart’s knee injury. New York had left open the possibility of a quarterback trade before reaching an agreement to acquire J.J. McCarthy.
The team’s announcement specified a 2027 fifth-round pick going to Minnesota, with the trade pending a physical at publication. Harbaugh also affirmed that Jameis Winston remained the starting quarterback heading into Sunday’s home matchup with Arizona.
That leaves New York preparing its offense around Winston while integrating another quarterback and reshaping its receiver depth. Beckham’s departure resolves one roster decision, but it leaves his own next opportunity unsettled.
