Despite previous reporting suggesting that he may have been passed over, the New York Giants again reshaped their wide receiver room less than 24 hours after signing Braxton Berrios by adding fan favourite Odell Beckham Jr to the roster.

As injuries continue to deplete the receiver position, amongst others, during offseason workouts, Big Blue also tabbed JuJu Smith-Schuster from a four-man workout on Monday, but the announcement of Beckham’s return naturally stole the headlines, even as the Giants placed Gunner Olszewski on injured reserve following the Achilles injury that prompted the tryout.

Beckham’s return represents one of the NFL’s more remarkable reunions. Drafted by the Giants in the first round in 2014, Beckham became one of the league’s icons during an explosive first stint in New York, earning three Pro Bowl selections and recording four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons before being traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2019. Having won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams, the 33-year-old most recently played under new Giants head coach John Harbaugh during a brief spell with the Baltimore Ravens, but has been out of the game for over a year.

The Giants’ receiving crisis, which sees Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton sidelined for the time being, appears to have forced a broader response than simply bringing Beckham home. Reports from multiple outlets indicate that Smith-Schuster has also agreed terms after impressing during the same workout. While the Giants had not yet formally announced the move at the time of writing, the former Kansas City and Pittsburgh favourite was widely reported to be joining Beckham and Berrios, with Anthony Miller appearing to be the odd man out.

Smith-Schuster brings familiarity with Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, having played under him during his time in Kansas City, while also owning a 1,400-yard season from his Pro Bowl campaign with Pittsburgh in 2018. Across nine NFL seasons he has amassed 481 receptions and 33 touchdowns.

The flurry of signings underlines the extent of the Giants’ injury concerns. Olszewski is out for the season with a torn Achilles, while Slayton remains sidelined following sports-hernia surgery and Nabers continues to recover from the serious knee injury that cut short his sophomore season. Whether Beckham and Smith-Schuster survive cutdown day remains to be seen, but the Giants are no longer short of experienced options heading into mandatory minicamp.