Before the preseason clash between the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings on August 15, Odell Beckham Jr. shared an endearing moment with his young son, Zydn.
Captured on video by the NFL, the heartwarming scene shows the star wide receiver lifting his 4-year-old into a tender embrace before setting him back on the ground. They then shared a lively handshake followed by a fist bump, highlighting their close connection.
Beckham’s NFL journey began with the Giants back in 2014, where he made a significant impact until his departure in 2018. Since then, he has played for several teams, achieving a career highlight by winning Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams in February 2022. Just days after this triumph, Beckham and his then-partner, Lauren Wood, welcomed their son Zydn.
After a stint with the Miami Dolphins in 2024, Beckham was released and spent the subsequent NFL season off the field. Now, he’s made a homecoming to the Giants for a second tenure with the team.
Though Beckham and Wood have parted ways, their commitment to co-parenting Zydn remains steadfast. In an interview with PEOPLE in 2024, Wood revealed that their relationship was, in some respects, “stronger” post-separation.
Beckham has also opened up about the role fatherhood plays in the decisions he makes about his future. In a February 2025 interview with PEOPLE, he shared some of the questions he had been considering.
“Where do I want to live? Where can my son lay his head? How do I establish a future for him?” Beckham said.
He also shared what he hopes to teach Zydn as he grows up.
“For me, I just hope he learns love,” Beckham said. “I feel like this world is so full of hate and comparisons and jealousy and all these other things. I hope that I can instill in him everything that my father instilled in me.”
Beckham said those lessons are especially important because he knows he will not always be there to guide his son through every situation.
“I’m not going to be able to be there with him through every encounter. So just being able to instill the right tools in him to be a good man, respectful, morally sound, and he’ll be okay.”