Odell Beckham Jr. was cut by the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday, one day after making his debut for the team on Monday Night Football.
The Vikings announced they had terminated the veteran receiver’s contract to clear a spot on the active roster for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Minnesota brought Cousins back in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, sending a third round pick to Las Vegas to get the deal done.
Minnesota promoted Beckham from the practice squad just hours before Monday’s home game against the Buffalo Bills. He played two snaps. He did not see a single target. The Vikings lost 23 to 6, and by Tuesday afternoon he was off the roster.
Beckham only got the call up because receiver Jauan Jennings was ruled out with a calf injury. The offense struggled all night, with Minnesota’s quarterbacks combining for just 139 passing yards.
His time in Minnesota may not be over, though. The Vikings said Odell Beckham Jr. is eligible to return to the practice squad, and NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported the team is signing him back there. The team had not announced that move as of Tuesday. While he is on the practice squad, other teams can sign him to their active rosters.
It has been a rough return for Odell Beckham Jr. He missed the entire 2025 season, then signed back this year with the New York Giants, the team that drafted him. He played three games there and finished with no catches on one target before the Giants released him. After that release, Beckham appeared to agree with a video claiming the Giants had used him as a publicity stunt.
The Vikings moved fast. They signed him to the practice squad on October 7, while Justin Jefferson was dealing with a sprained ankle and Jordan Addison was also hurt. Beckham also had a familiar face in the building: Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, the season Beckham helped them win the Super Bowl. Minnesota elevated him for a Week 5 game against the New Orleans Saints, but he never took the field that day. Monday night against Buffalo was his first real appearance.
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Across four games with the Giants and Vikings this season, Odell Beckham Jr. has been targeted once. He has not recorded a catch since 2024 with the Miami Dolphins.
Minnesota benched Kyler Murray, who has been dealing with a lingering hamstring injury, and went after Cousins at the trade deadline to steady an offense that has stalled.
Former Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman spoke up for Beckham after the news broke. Merriman wrote on X that this kind of move “is honestly what pushed me to retirement.” He said he was once cut, fought his way back onto the Bills roster, and then retired after that season. He called being released part of the business but one of the hardest things a player has to deal with.
Odell Beckham Jr., 34, was once one of the most electric receivers in the league. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014 and made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons. He has now played for the Giants, Browns, Rams, Ravens, Dolphins and Vikings.
