It looks like Odell Beckham Jr. officially is bypassing a reunion with the Giants — however unlikely that was — for a shot with one of their rivals in the NFC East.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says the former Giants receiver is close to signing a deal for the rest of the season with Dallas, barely 10 months after suffering a torn ACL with the Rams in the Super Bowl.
“Odell’s going to join us,” Jones told USA TODAY Sports. “There’s a good chance he will, with the complete goal of getting ready for a playoff game or two, and then I’ll look to the future. But most of it being about now.”
The 30-year-old Beckham also reportedly visited with the Giants and the Bills earlier this month, although a return to the Giants never gained traction despite injuries to Sterling Shepard and rookie Wan’Dale Robinson and little production from $72 million signing Kenny Golladay.
Beckham was a three-time Pro Bowl receiver during his first five NFL seasons with the Giants from 2014-18 before he was dealt to the Browns in March of 2019. He already has come back once from an initial ACL tear suffered in 2020.
“Good for him. That’s all I really got to say. Good for him,” Giants running back Saquon Barkley told The Post when informed of the pending deal. “Wish him the best. He’s obviously one of my good friends. He probably picked what he felt was best for him, and I’m happy for him.
“But I would have loved it to be here.”
Barkley also suffered a torn ACL in Sept. 2020 and returned to action last season, totaling 593 rushing yards over 13 appearances. One year later, he currently leads the NFC in rushing with 1,083 yards through 13 games entering Sunday night’s game in Washington, with eight touchdowns and an additional 261 yards on 42 receptions.
“At the end of the day, I just want him to be smart, be safe. Trust it,” Barkley said. “He’s a grown-up, he won’t go out there without knowing he can go out there and feel like he can’t play. Wish him nothing but the best.”
Beckham had attended a Mavericks game in Dallas, sitting courtside alongside Cowboys stars Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs, during his free agency tour on Dec. 5, with the crowd at American Airlines Center showering him with chants of “OBJ.”
Still, the Cowboys had expressed doubts that Beckham would be able to suit up this season, and Jones told a Dallas radio station earlier this week that the organization’s interest likely would be for 2023. The team instead signed free-agent receiver T.Y. Hilton earlier this week, indicating a pause in their Beckham pursuit.
Jones added that any deal with Beckham would not become official until after the Cowboys (10-3) put their four-game winning streak on the line Sunday against the Jaguars.
“He’s been working out, and of course he’s extraordinary,” Jones said. “I’m hopeful we can get into some important games and have some Deion Sanders-type results.
“Could this be possible to have a great player like that get in two or three playoff games and make some significant plays? I think very much so. That’s not an exaggerated thought at all.”
Beckham was released by the Browns in November of last season and signed with the Rams, finishing the year with 48 catches for 593 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games for them. That included his four postseason appearances before suffering the non-contact knee injury in the second quarter of their Super Bowl victory over the Bengals.
