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