Odell Beckham Jr. Set for Opportunity with Vikings

Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t find success during a brief return to the Giants. Now, though, he’ll have a chance to score his first catch of the season with the Vikings on Sunday.

The experienced wide receiver is being promoted from the practice squad to the active roster for Minnesota’s game against the Saints in New Orleans, according to various reports.

Both Justin Jefferson (ankle) and Jordan Addison (hamstring) are listed as questionable on the Vikings’ injury report released on Friday. So, if either or both can’t play, Beckham could provide some much-needed support.

At 33, Beckham joined the Giants in June and made their 53-man roster right before Week 1, which is notable considering it had been eight years since he last played in New York.

But things didn’t really go as planned during his homecoming.

Though he was active for three games, he was only targeted once. His playtime amounted to just 20 offensive snaps, or about 11 percent of the total snaps in those games.

Beckham was released by the Giants on September 29 before signing with Minnesota’s practice squad earlier this week. He expressed surprise at the Giants’ decision.

On social media, he remarked, “I’m super smart, but I didn’t see this one my brotha. They got me!!!”

Interestingly, he will wear No. 9 with the Vikings, which is the number previously held by quarterback J.J. McCarthy. New York had traded for McCarthy to bolster their roster after Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Beckham mentioned in a press conference that he was thankful another team showed interest in him. “Everything happened so fast. It’s always good to be somewhere where you’re wanted. He was the one who reached out and made it happen. It seemed right,” he said. “When you’re playing a sport like this where you’re laying your livelihood on the line, it always feels better when you’re doing it for somebody who you feel like their heart is there for it as well.”