John Mara said at the start of training camp that he wanted Odell Beckham Jr. to be a Giant "for a long time." Beckham has said he wants to be the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.
They'll both get what they wanted.
The Giants and their star wide receiver have agreed to terms on a five-year, $95 million contract extension that guarantees him $65 million and averages more than $20 million over the first three years of the deal, a source confirmed to Newsday. The deal runs through the 2023 season. The NFL Network was the first to report the contract.
Two of the major questions the Giants had regarding their investment in Beckham have seemingly been answered in recent months. First, they were concerned about his health after a fractured ankle required season-ending surgery last October. So far this summer in training camp Beckham has looked explosive in practices, although he has not played in any preseason games.
The second concern was Beckham's maturity. The Giants were impressed by Beckham's behavior of late, which includes his presence at the start of training camp rather than a holdout to get a deal such as this. Beckham and Pat Shurmur have developed a close relationship in short order, and it's clear the Giants trust him to continue on his recent path of good choices both on and off the field. The distractions that he had become identified with over the years have been minimal.
Being the highest-paid receiver can come in several forms, but Beckham appears to have eclipsed them all. Steelers All-Pro Antonio Brown's $17 million annual salary was the benchmark for year-to-year pay. The five-year, $82.5 million contract that Tampa Bay's Mike Evans signed in March included the most guaranteed money for a wide receiver in NFL history at the time: $55 million.
Beckham's deal blows both of those away and will pay him as one of the NFL's elite receivers. The Giants selected Beckham with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 draft. Over his first three seasons, he recorded 288 receptions for 4,122 yards and 35 touchdowns. He was voted the NFL's offensive rookie of the year in 2014. He played just four games in 2017 when he had 25 catches for 302 yards and three touchdowns.
