Matthew Stafford and Odell Beckham Jr. were on opposite sidelines Monday night, but the moment after the final whistle looked like a reunion. Following the Rams' 28-6 win over the Giants at SoFi Stadium, the two former teammates found each other on the field and shared a long embrace, a scene ESPN's cameras caught as the broadcast wrapped.
The bond runs through the most important stretch of both of their careers. Beckham joined the Rams midway through the 2021 season after his release from Cleveland, and he quickly became a key target for Stafford in his first year in Los Angeles. Across 12 games including the playoffs, Beckham caught seven touchdowns.
That run ended with a championship. Beckham caught a 17-yard touchdown from Stafford to open the scoring in Super Bowl LVI, but he tore his ACL later in the game and had to watch the Rams finish off the win from the sideline. It remains the only title for either player.
Beckham is now back where his career started. The 33-year-old signed with the Giants in June after sitting out the 2025 season, returning to the franchise that drafted him in the first round in 2014 and where he earned three Pro Bowl nods. He appeared in New York's Week 1 win over Dallas without recording a stat.
Monday was not a night to remember for Beckham's Giants. They lost quarterback Jaxson Dart to a knee injury on the opening drive, saw Malik Nabers briefly exit with a shoulder injury, and later lost Brian Burns and Andrew Thomas as well. New York never reached the end zone.
Stafford, meanwhile, looked every bit the reigning MVP. He threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns, passing Philip Rivers for sixth on the NFL's all-time passing touchdowns list. Davante Adams did most of the damage with eight catches for 195 yards and two scores, even with Puka Nacua sidelined by a hip injury.
The night had other reunions, too. Beckham also connected with Aaron Donald before kickoff, dapping up his former teammate as Donald warmed up for his first game since retiring after the 2023 season. Donald finished with three tackles in his return as the Rams bounced back from a Week 1 loss to San Francisco in Australia.