Former Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. being released by Browns

Former Giants superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is being released by the Cleveland Browns, the team announced on Friday - his 29th birthday.

Beckham was traded from Big Blue to Cleveland on March 12, 2019 in exchange for Jabrill Peppers, a first-round pick (Dexter Lawrence) and a third-rounder (Oshane Ximines).

Beckham became a household name with the Giants after arguably one of the greatest catches in NFL history during his rookie year, followed by numbers that were near the top of the league in his first few seasons.

In 59 games with the Giants, he racked up 390 catches, 5,476 yards, and 44 touchdowns.

Beckham signed a five-year deal with the Giants before the 2018 season, but was constantly surrounded by controversy - his final blow was when he criticized Eli Manning in an interview on ESPN with rapper Lil Wayne by his side.

In his first season with Cleveland, he caught 74 passes for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns – in 2020, though, he tore his ACL.

Since his return in Week 3, he has caught just 50 percent of balls thrown his way. 

He made more headlines this week when his father posted a video showing times that Browns QB Baker Mayfield missed a wide-open Beckham. With the Browns, he’s averaging fewer than four catches and just 54.7 yards per game.

Beckham was excused from Browns practice on Wednesday and Thursday before being released on Friday.