The Minnesota Vikings made an interesting addition by signing Odell Beckham Jr. to their practice squad on Wednesday. Beckham is not the same player he was when he achieved superstar status with the New York Giants early in his career, but after his second stint with the team ended with his release last week, he’s likely hoping his time in Minnesota won’t be as short.
With Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison nursing injuries, Beckham may not have much time to convince Kevin O’Connell that he can be a long-term piece of his offense. But Beckham has an advantageous schedule that could give him an extended audition and eventually a spot on the active roster.
Odell Beckham Jr. may only need three weeks to solidify his future with the Minnesota Vikings
Beckham’s current task is to learn the Vikings’ playbook, and he was already on the practice field at TCO Performance Center on Wednesday afternoon. While it seems like a long shot, the Vikings could install a package of plays for Beckham for Sunday’s matchup against the New Orleans Saints, letting O’Connell see what he could do in a game-like situation.
Expecting Beckham to suddenly earn starter’s snaps isn’t realistic, but it could take just one play for the Vikings to want to see more. That feels possible against a Saints defense that has been on tilt recently, ranking dead last in scoring defense (32.0 ppg) and coughing up 45 points in Monday night’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons; and with Beckham a New Orleans native, it could be a homecoming shot of adrenaline to put his best foot forward.
If Beckham impresses, the Vikings have a bye the following week, which could let him dig deeper into the playbook without burning one of his two practice squad elevations. That could put him in a great spot for the Week 7 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts; while Indianapolis isn’t as generous in terms of scoring at 26.0 points per game, they’ve allowed 7.2 net yards per attempt.
By that point, Jefferson and Addison should be on the mend, and if Beckham shows flashes, it could make a solid case to earn an active spot on the roster and help Minnesota’s offense down the stretch.
Kevin O’Connell has multiple windows to decide Beckham’s fate
It’s important to remember that this is still a fantasy scenario. Beckham didn’t play in a game during the 2025 season, and while he made the Giants roster out of training camp, he had just one target before he was released. Beckham also hasn’t been the same player since tearing his ACL in the second half of Super Bowl LVI with O’Connell and the Los Angeles Rams, catching just 44 passes for 620 yards and three touchdowns.
But the most notable aspect is that the bar is low for Beckham to clear. Outside of Jefferson and Addison, Vikings receivers have combined for five catches for 29 yards over the first four weeks. Running backs Aaron Jones (68 yards) and DeeJay Dallas (23 yards) and tight end Josh Oliver (46 yards) are among the players that have outproduced this group and while Kyler Murray’s play has been a factor, someone needs to step up to create another option.
What’s even better is that O’Connell has multiple windows he could use. If Beckham looks good in practice, he can elevate him against the Saints. If he doesn’t, he can use two full weeks to see what he has and use him against the Colts in Week 7 and the Detroit Lions in Week 8.
Beckham may not be the answer. But with an advantageous schedule and an extra week to learn the offense if he needs it, he may have a chance to exceed his low expectations.
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