Tom Brady opens door for Odell Beckham Jr’s NFL return with Fernando Mendoza role in mind

Odell Beckham Jr. is targeting a return to the NFL in 2026.

The 33-year-old wide receiver has not played a single down in the NFL since Week 9 of the 2024 regular season when with the Miami Dolphins.

Getty

But after appearing in Tom Brady‘s Fanatics Flag Football Classic game, and putting on an impressive display, the showman has signaled his intentions to make an NFL comeback.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz posted a tweet to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday which read: “Free agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. has received renewed interest in recent days after his showing at Tom Brady’s Fanatics flag football game.

“Beckham was one of the most impressive players on the field and fully intends to play in 2026, per sources.”

Whilst some have dubbed this as a classic agent move, others are glad that Brady’s flag football event allowed the exposure of one of the NFL’s most famous stars, including Beckham himself.

“One flag football game and now teams are interested again. That’s the power of a good showcase. Hope it works out for him,” one fan posted to X.

“That Tom Brady event just reminded teams what they’ve been missing,” a second fan commented.

“OBJ still got that juice NFL teams better not sleep on him for 2026!” a third wrote.

A fourth fan added: “OBJ still got it fr. Showed out at Brady’s flag game and now teams are circling again.”

After the flag football event, the former wide receiver revealed to NFL insider Kay Adams that he hoped this could be the springboard he needed to make a return to the league.

“Looking forward to hopefully getting the opportunity to play this year, and this is kind of just the starting point,” Beckham Jr. told Adams.

Getty

“If that opportunity presents itself, I would love to do that, and be excited about that.”

With a possible return to the big stage seemingly very much on the cards, rumors have begun circulating over where the three-time Pro Bowl receiver could land.

The idea of a reunion with the New York Giants – the team in which Beckham Jr. was drafted to with the 12th overall pick all the way back in 2014 – was floated by Adams.

“Weird that you said that,” Beckham added. “That sounds great.

“If that opportunity presents itself, I would love to do that. Be excited about that. He’s [Jaxson Dart] young, he likes to dance, I like all that.”

Beckham announced himself to the league when he lit up Met Life stadium with his now infamous one-handed catch against the Dallas Cowboys in 2014.

Getty

Getty

Should the Giants show interest, then Beckham Jr. would also reunite with head coach John Harbaugh, who he worked under when the pair spent the 2023 season together at the Baltimore Ravens.

OBJ could offer ‘steady’ veteran presence for Fernando Mendoza

But after having been seen working out with Brady ahead of the flag football showcase in a series of images posted to Instagram, the Las Vegas Raiders minority owner may decide to give Beckham Jr. a lifeline back to the NFL with his own team.

The Raiders are coming off a woeful 3-14 campaign which saw them awarded the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, where they are projected to take Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

But as it stands, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner wouldn’t be walking into a vastly experienced wide receiver room, with their projected starting lineup for 2026 currently made up of Tre Tucker, Jack Bech and free agent signee Jalen Nailor.

Together, they have a combined eight years of experience in the NFL.

Adding a 10-year veteran to the room like Beckham, despite his tethered injury history in the latter years of his career, where he has no ACL, would be a huge asset off the field and in the locker room, as well as on the gridiron.

Back after the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory in 2022, a game in which Beckham Jr. suffered a torn ACL in the second quarter, head coach Sean McVay spoke about the veteran receiver, and how he was so ‘steady’ despite the Rams’ somewhat tumultuous regular season leading up to championship glory.

“When we signed him, we were 7-1 and we ended up losing three in a row, none of which had anything to do with him,” McVay told former NFL player Ryan Clark on a 2023 episode of The Pivot.

Getty

Reuters

“But he was a guy that just stayed so steady. That moment in time when we went through a month without winning a game … whether it was him, Von [Miller], the leaders, he stayed steady.

“But his charisma, his presence, his ability to have a good feel for ‘okay, you know what, we’re a little tight. Let me loosen everybody up right here’. …

“But then, when it’s time to lock in, this guy knew. He had a great emotional intelligence in terms of feeling the temperature of the situation and obviously an incredible athlete. But what I don’t think people know is what a great dude he is.

“How super smart and aware of everything he is. It’s not by mistake that everybody’s interested. He’s got a magnetism about himself that you just can’t help but like. …

“I always feel like that the people who shine the brightest when the stage is as big as possible, like there’s no moment that is ever too big, he’s the kind of guy who comes to mind.”

These attributes of a receiver that has already been there and done it as it pertains to winning a Super Bowl would benefit the young core that Brady and the rest of the Raiders brass are forming around that of Mendoza, even if he doesn’t have an ACL.

Likely available at a veteran’s minimum, it could be a deal that is a win-win for both parties – Beckham gets his gateway back into the league and the Raiders get a veteran presence that could help accelerate their future franchise star’s development.

Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.