Veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s second stint with the New York Giants lasted only three games, but the way it ended clearly hit the veteran receiver harder than the release itself. Beckham insists that he was blindsided by Tuesday’s decision, revealing in an Instagram comment that the Giants “got me” and admitting he felt he “shoulda known better” after believing he had earned another chance in New York.

“I’m super smart !!!! But I didn’t see this one my brotha! They got me!!!” Beckham wrote. “They won on top of the money you talking bout I made. I came in HUMBLY took vet min then EARNED my spot and didnt say nothin bout no $$$ which Ikno make for everybody. I am a grown man, and this s*** didn’t hurt me, but it did when they cut me like that cause part of me is like I shoulda known better.”

What hurt most, Beckham explained, was what happened after he got home.

He said his son had no idea he had been released and was happily talking about Beckham’s job and jersey No. 13. The moment became emotional when his son hugged him and told him, “idc (I don’t care) what happened, Daddy; you are the best, and I love u.”

The reaction came after Beckham had been used sparingly throughout his comeback season. He played 11 snaps in Week 1, three in Week 2, and six in Sunday’s 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans. He finished his three-game return with one target and no catches.

That lack of involvement made his release easier to understand from the Giants’ perspective. New York needed to add punt returner Braxton Berrios to the active roster after he exhausted his practice-squad elevations, while Beckham did not have a special-teams role.

Head coach John Harbaugh said on Wednesday that the decision came down to production.

“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. For whatever reason, we weren’t able to do it.”

Still, the exit was abrupt for Beckham, especially after he had earned his roster spot during the preseason.

There had also been calls from fans for Beckham to see more action. During Sunday’s win, MetLife Stadium erupted into “OBJ! OBJ!” chants while he was mostly on the sideline.

Beckham, 33, missed the 2025 season while serving a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. His last regular-season action before returning to New York came with the Miami Dolphins in 2024.

His first Giants stint remains the defining part of his career. Beckham recorded 390 catches for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns in his first five seasons with the team, earning three Pro Bowl selections.

Now, after another short-lived run in New York, Beckham is looking for another opportunity, adding that “one door closes and another opens.”

For Beckham, though, the sting came from believing he had finally earned his way back, only to have the Giants close that door without giving him much of a chance to prove what he could still do.