Odell Beckham Jr. is back in the No. 13 Giants jersey. After making the 53-man roster over the weekend, Beckham returned to the field Tuesday wearing the number he made famous during his first stint in New York, according to the report.
Beckham had worn No. 3 — his high school and LSU number — throughout the spring and summer with the Giants, but reclaimed No. 13 on Tuesday from fellow wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who is on the practice squad, the report said.
On Tuesday morning Beckham posted an Instagram story showing the No. 13 jersey with his name on the back sitting on his locker-stool. Hyatt gave up the number without hesitation and was seen on the practice field Tuesday wearing No. 81, the report added.
The switch was long anticipated after Beckham signed with the Giants in the spring. No. 3 had been a placeholder while second-year outside linebacker Abdul Carter was already wearing that number. Beckham acknowledged Monday there would be a “conversation” about returning to the number he wore from 2014-18 and said it would be “an honor and a privilege” to put it back on.
Beckham made three straight Pro Bowls to start his career while wearing No. 13 in New York, a run that helped popularize the jersey. He is scheduled to wear No. 13 when the Giants open the regular season Sept. 13 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart called the move “pretty nostalgic,” noting Beckham’s early career highlights and the cultural impact of the one-handed catches that became associated with him, the report said.
