Fact Check: Is Odell Beckham Jr. Retiring?

Claim: Odell Beckham Jr. is once again a free agent, with no confirmed updates on him signing with a team, and the season is now less than 100 days away. For a receiver of his caliber to remain unsigned has raised eyebrows, leading many to believe that OBJ may be nearing the end of his playing career.

Source of the rumor: Several signs point to Odell hanging it up. Most notably, his recent Instagram posts suggest that he’s fully embracing fatherhood as his primary focus.

From taking his son to soccer games and skiing trips to calling him his biggest accomplishment, the former Super Bowl champion appears content with life off the field.

 

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A post shared by Odell Beckham Jr (@obj)

It’s heartwarming — but notably, there’s been no mention of football.

 

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A post shared by Odell Beckham Jr (@obj)

There are also sources that claim Odell isn’t drawing any significant interest from teams. He caught nine passes for just 55 yards before being released by the Miami Dolphins in December. Now at 32, it’s looking like NFL teams are ready to move on from the OBJ era.

And who would blame them? Odell hasn’t made any impact on a team since 2019, with Baker Mayfield throwing him the ball. After three straight Pro Bowl seasons to begin his career, injuries hindered him from becoming consistently great. Using previous players’ decisions and logic, we can infer that Odell is most likely heading towards retirement. 

Verdict: As of right now, Odell is not retiring. But we could hear an announcement about it soon, especially since he can’t find any team to play with in the upcoming season. Odell has been hanging around the league, hopping between Cleveland, the LA Rams, Baltimore, and Miami.

Legendary: Odell Beckham Jr. could be nearing the end of the road after 10 NFL seasons.

Now 32, OBJ caught just 9 passes for 55 yards in 2024 and hasn’t signed with a team since his Dolphins release in December.

If this is it, what a ride it’s been:
• Super Bowl champ
• 2014… pic.twitter.com/Hbrxb4Se9I

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 25, 2025

Odell did, however, miss the entire 2022 season before making a comeback with the Ravens. While unlikely, there is a scenario where he sits out another season, waiting for a desperate team to scoop him up.

What a Career for Odell: He won’t be making any Hall of Fame ballots anytime soon, but it’s hard to deny the impact Odell had on the league when he was healthy and in his prime. He ranks second all-time in career receiving yards for the Giants and fourth in touchdowns.

As for hardware, Odell collected an offensive Rookie of the Year award to go along with his three Pro Bowl selections. And rightfully, he was rewarded with his only Lombardi Trophy of his career when he won it all with the Rams in 2021. 

It was a memorable career, to say the least. If this is the end, we’re all going to miss Odell and the highlight reel catches he gave us. He made perhaps the most impressive one-handed catch in NFL history, and it happened on Sunday Night Football for everyone to see.