Kim Kardashian has started up a new friendship with NFL superstar Odell Beckham Jr. ... hanging out thanks to a group of mutual friends, TMZ has confirmed.

Sources connected to the pair tell us while Kim's not seriously dating anyone at the moment, she's absolutely open to finding love again if she finds the right person. However, the source insists OBJ is strictly a friend, and they've got a few mutual friends in common.

People was first to report the pair was "hanging out" ... noting OBJ and his longtime girlfriend Lauren Wood split. Our sources say the two actually broke up at the beginning of this year. Beckham and Wood welcomed their son, Zydn, in February 2022.

Unclear who the group of mutual friends consists of or how Kim and OBJ linked -- Beckham is currently a wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens. He played for the L.A. Rams in 2021 -- Kim went to a couple of the team's games -- at one point taking her son, Saint, to celebrate his birthday.

Kim's been publicly single since she and Pete split in August 2022 after about 9 months together ... and of course, she's been super busy as of late, balancing her life as a mom, and owner of a multi-billion-dollar brand in SKIMS.