Odell Beckham Jr. will wear a (somewhat) infamous number in Minnesota.
News broke Wednesday that three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Beckham was signing with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent.. Beckham ended up with a new team just one week after being released by the New York Giants.
The 33-year-old Beckham is also getting a new jersey number to go with his new digs. According to the team’s official website, Beckham will wear No. 9 jerseys.
Of course, the No. 9 jersey was previously worn by quarterback JJ McCarthy, who the Vikings just traded to (coincidentally) the New York Giants. Now Beckham will go back the other way and boot McCarthy’s old number.
McCarthy, 23, is the No. Minnesota’s 10 overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. But he’s been a big bust for the Vikings and now gets a fresh start in New York (with a brand new jersey number of his own too).
Meanwhile, Beckham, who has contributed almost nothing to the Giants this year, will start on Minnesota’s practice squad. But he thinks his relationships with Justin Jefferson are a natural fit (Beckham’s fellow LSU alum) and Kevin O’Connell (Beckham’s former offensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams).