Odell Beckham Jr. wants an absolutely insane new contract
Odell Beckham Jr. is considered one of the best receivers in the NFL.
Now he wants to be paid like one. In fact, he wants to be the highest-paid receiver in the league.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Thursday that sources have told him Beckham is seeking a new contract that will pay him more than $20 million per season.
“He’s in the 20s, from what he has told people close to him, he wants to be in the low 20s,” Garafolo said.
Per @MikeGarafolo: Odell Beckham Jr. wants at least $20 million in his next contract.
Will his future remain in NY?
📺: #UpToTheMinute https://t.co/hDQqbfi6Ty
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 1, 2018
Beckham is entering the final year of a four-year contract. He’s scheduled to earn $8.4 million this season, by far the most he has earned so far in his career. He will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown is currently the highest-paid receiver in the league, making approximately $17 million per season.
Also hindering Beckham’s chance of getting to the $20 million per season mark is the fact the Giants only have $25.6 million in cap space available this offseason.
There has been speculation that Beckham will hold out of training camp until he gets a new deal.
On Saturday, Beckham posted a tweet indicating he would not play at all during the preseason. He later posted a tweet that seemed to suggest his initial tweet wasn’t meant to be taken literally, saying “people take things a little too serious sometimes.”
People take things a little too serious sometimes… quick to write a story , but hey anything for a couple of likes in this world. Lol it's so sad that's the world we live in. Wonder if we’ll ever change!?
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) February 24, 2018
Beckham’s health was considered a major factor in the Giants’ dismal 2017 season. He suffered a high-ankle sprain in a preseason matchup that forced him to miss the team’s season opener. He eventually broke the same ankle in Week 5 and missed the rest of the season.
New Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman would not discuss specifics when asked earlier this week about negotiations with Beckham. But he did suggest a player with Beckham’s talent is worth a monster deal.
“For me, the biggest impact is whether he helps us win,” Gettleman said. “I’m not in marketing. I’m on the football side of the building. And at the end of the day, if we don’t win, I get fired. OK? So what you do is you pay a player his value, what his value is, and that’s what you do.”
Could that mean Beckham isn’t crazy to ask for $20 million per season?
“This is America,” Gettleman said. “It’s a great place. Anything’s possible.”
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