John Harbaugh Makes Ice Cold OBJ Admission

Despite Odell Beckham Jr.'s high-profile return to the Giants, John Harbaugh reveals the team had to make tough choices due to unmet performance expectations.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s return to the Giants never got off the ground, and John Harbaugh made it clear the team believed the problem was bigger than one player.

Beckham was cut on Tuesday after seeing almost no action through the first three games of the season. He finished his reunion in New York with no catches on just one target, a quiet ending for the former LSU star receiver who had been selected by the Giants with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

After practice on Wednesday, Harbaugh said the move came down to production and fit.

"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

Harbaugh doubled down on that point when asked about Beckham’s release.

“I wanted to be able to get more,” Harbaugh said. “I wanted him to be able to do more, wanted to get him on the field more, and whatever reason we weren’t able to do it.

Put it on us. We weren’t able to get it done.”

The roster move opened a spot for receiver and return specialist Braxton Berrios, who had been on the Giants’ practice squad and had already used up his annual elevations to the active roster. New York also added 2023 fourth-round wide receiver Charlie Jones.

Harbaugh said the team simply needed more from that roster spot.

“Roster spot-wise, we need more out of that spot, and that’s what we’re gonna do,” Harbaugh said. “Nothing about Odell, nothing that he could do in that sense; it’s just that we weren’t able to get it done, make it fit, make it work, whatever you want to call it. I was hoping we could, and we didn’t.”

In Other News...

Jets Fans Are Still Waiting To See Their Top Rookie Corner

DAngelo Ponds has been on the Jets radar since they used the 50th overall pick on him in the 2026 draft, but the rookie corners first month has been more about patience than production. A calf injury wiped out training camp and the preseason, then kept him out of the season opener, so by the time he returned to practice in Week 2, the Jets were still easing him back into the mix.

Ponds finally made his NFL debut in Week 3, but it was only a brief cameo, with the Jets using him for four snaps as they continued to take the cautious route with his development. For now, Jarvis Brownlee Jr. has handled the slot cornerback job, and the bigger question is when the Jets will be ready to give their top rookie a real chance to show why they invested such a high pick in him. [Read more 🡒]

Jets Suddenly Need An Unproven Back In A Bigger Spot

The early weeks of the 2026 season have already pushed the Jets into some uncomfortable depth-chart decisions, and the backfield is no exception. With key offensive injuries piling up, including Breece Halls thigh issue that has him listed as week-to-week, the team has had to lean harder on the backs behind him than it probably expected this soon.

Braelon Allen is now set to carry the load as the lead running back, but the next layer is where things get less certain. Isaiah Davis, who has not played offensive snaps this season, is suddenly positioned as the No. 2 back, giving the Jets a young and largely untested option in a role that could matter quickly if the injuries linger. [Read more 🡒]

Jets Suddenly Have A Big Game Plan Problem Against Chicago

The Jets preparation for Chicago just got a little more complicated, and it has nothing to do with their own roster. Bears coach Ben Johnson said a call on the starting quarterback will come after more discussion, leaving the Jets to sort through two very different possibilities as they build their game plan. Tyson Bagent has cleared concussion protocol and could take over for Case Keenum, which means New York has to keep one eye on a veteran approach and another on a younger, less familiar option.

For a Jets defense trying to get its footing, that kind of uncertainty matters, especially with Chicagos offense now in flux. The broader picture around New York is more encouraging, with Geno Smith off to a strong start and PFFs latest grades giving the team a fresh read on players like David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq, Garrett Wilson and the offensive line. But the immediate challenge is less about rankings and more about being ready for whatever version of the Bears shows up when the game plan finally comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]