New York Giants send loud message to Odell Beckham Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster about their future before they even take a snap
The Giants desperately need help at receiver due to various injury reasons, but they’re not going to make poor decisions simply because and that’s reflected in the contracts they recently handed out.
It’s still extremely early in the offseason, but man, the New York Giants’ receiver room is really going through it.
Malik Nabers’ ACL recovery has officially reached complicated status and his timeline is largely unknown. On top of that, receiver/special teamer Gunner Olszewski tore his Achilles in practice the other day.
The New York Giants’ receiver depth was already shaky before those developments and the circumstances obviously worsened the situation. Therefore, Joe Schoen and Co. went looking for help and found it in the trio of Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Braxton Berrios.
The duo of Beckham Jr. and. Smith-Schuster is interesting because Beckham Jr. is the 2013 Offensive Rookie of the Year and a three-time Pro Bowler who at one point was one of the hottest names in the league. Smith-Schuster is a former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ, himself.
However, expectations should be heavily managed when it comes to what they can offer the Giants in 2026.
Fortunately, the Giants feel the same way, as evidenced by both players’ contract terms.
New York Giants give Beckham Jr. and Smith-Schuster veteran minimal deals and it’s the right move
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Giants signed Beckham Jr. and Smith-Schuster (along with Berrios) to veteran minimum deals. Therefore, Beckham Jr. and Smith-Schuster will each make $1.3 million if they end up making the team and sticking for all 17 games. Berrios falls in line with that, as well.
This means the Giants won’t just hand Beckham Jr. and Smith-Schuster a job, despite their past history of performing. It’s undoubtedly the correct decision, as Beckham Jr. didn’t even play in 2025 and Smith-Schuster finished the year with just 33 receptions for 345 yards and a touchdown in Kansas City. In fact, the 33 receptions and 345 yards were the highest Smith-Schuster had logged since the 2022 season.
Both players are clearly in the twilight of their respective careers and need to be treated as such. Nabers should also eventually return and that will help boost the group. Although, it remains to be seen just how impactful he’ll be once that happens.
Regardless, the Giants are going about this the right way and if they can even get the production Smith-Schuster had last year out of either guy, or both, it’ll be a win for New York.