Odell Beckham Jr. cut by Vikings, back on practice squad

It took about 6 minutes for every NFL insider with a phone to post the first half of this one.

Adam Schefter

@AdamSchefter

Vikings have released WR Odell Beckham Jr.

The reason for the cut wasn't OBJ. It was the quarterback. Minnesota traded a 2027 third-round pick to the Raiders on Tuesday to bring Kirk Cousins back, and Cousins needs a spot on the 53. Beckham was the guy whose contract got terminated to make room. The team also released guard C.J. Hanson and tackle Corey Robinson II from the practice squad in the same batch of moves.

Why Cousins, and why now? Monday night was rough. With Kyler Murray out with a hamstring injury, Carson Wentz started against Buffalo and put up a 2.3 QBR while completing 32 percent of his passes. The Vikings are 6-2 with the league's best defense, and they weren't going to waste that on that kind of quarterback play. So they went and got the guy who started for them from 2018 to 2023.

Then the second half of the news dropped. Barely 5 minutes after the release, the follow-up landed that OBJ wasn't going anywhere.

Tom Pelissero

@TomPelissero

OBJ isn’t done: The Vikings are re-signing Odell Beckham Jr. to the practice squad, per source.

That's basically a paperwork move. Beckham has bounced between Minnesota's practice squad and active roster all fall. The Giants released him on September 29, and the Vikings signed him to the practice squad on October 7. They elevated him for Week 5 against the Saints, but he didn't play. On Sunday they finally signed him to the active roster, after Jauan Jennings was ruled out with a calf strain. The need was real: through 7 games, every Vikings wideout not named Justin Jefferson or Jordan Addison had combined for 15 catches and 153 yards.

The debut itself was a dud. Beckham played just 2 snaps Monday in an offense that never got going. Less than 24 hours later he was off the 53. That's not really a verdict on OBJ, though. When a team trades for a starting quarterback at the deadline, somebody has to go, and the guy who can slide right back to the practice squad is the easiest call.

Ian Rapoport

@RapSheet

OBJ will sign back to the practice squad.

Ian Rapoport

@RapSheet

The #Vikings released WR Odell Beckham Jr.

What to watch: Cousins could start Sunday at Lambeau against the Packers if he passes his physical. Wentz is expected to be released. Beckham goes back to being a phone call away, either a game-day elevation or a re-promotion if Jennings stays out. He's not done, he's just on standby again.