Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t need long to stir things up at Giants training camp.
One practice was enough to get the conversation going again, because when Beckham is in blue, even the most jaded Giants fan starts looking twice. New York brought him back on a one-year, prove-it deal in early June, and after a strong workout and a solid run through OTAs, he arrived at camp with one more box to check before he can lock down a spot on the 53-man roster.
The early signs were encouraging. Before practice, general manager Joe Schoen made it clear Beckham has already stood out since returning.
"He can still get open. He's still got really good hands.
Catches the ball well. ... He was in really good shape for the conditioning test.
Excited to see what he looks like with more time around him."
That optimism didn’t stay in the abstract for long. On the field, Beckham immediately started turning heads, including in a passing drill alongside Malik Nabers that Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic captured on video. The chemistry was obvious enough to send Giants fans right back into familiar territory.
Beckham also showed up in another drill with Jaxson Dart, again drawing attention as he worked through camp reps. Later, Jordan Raanan posted another clip of Beckham coming out of a break and moving well, further feeding the buzz around his first day back.
It wasn’t vintage Beckham in the sense of a full throwback performance, but it was enough to remind everyone what he can still do. The day clearly landed with the media watching closely, too.
SNY’s Connor Hughes wrote, "Still weird seeing him in the blue again. He looks good, too.
As Joe Schoen said - he can still get open."
Dart, for his part, sounded genuinely pleased to have Beckham around.
"I'm definitely excited about O...he's about the teammates, the guys around him. I've loved having him here so far. He's a great guy, a great leader."
So yes, it’s only Day 1. There’s a long way to go before anything really matters on Sundays.
But for one afternoon, Beckham gave Giants fans a reason to lean in again. The energy was there, the hope was there, and the old Beckham effect was there too.
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