PAY IT FORWARD
BEST WAY FOR $95M MAN TO REWARD GIANTS FANS IS WITH SUPER GIFT
Odell Beckham Jr. long believed he would become the highestpaid wide receiver in NFL history.
“It was just a matter of when,” he said.
What he felt was inevitable f inally arrived Monday, when Beckham signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $95 million ($65 million guaranteed). Exhilaration followed. And despite his conf idence in the Giants and his agent and “God’s plan,” the 25-year-old — who ended last season in tears after shattering his left ankle — described relief running neckand-neck with his long-envisioned joy.
“You kind of dream about this moment all your life,” Beckham said Tuesday afternoon. “I’m relieved to get it done, and just be able to start a new chapter of my life. It’s exciting, and I’m very thankful for where I’m at.
“I can’t say that I wasn’t worried about it because it was in the back of [my] head ... I’m just happy that it is done, and it’s over with, and now you can move on and be great and do all those things that I’ve always dreamed of doing.”
Beckham’s performance in training camp has left little doubt he’s fully healthy and ready to resume one of the league’s most electrifying young careers. Coach Pat Shurmur said there is “no doubt” the fifth-year receiver will be ready for the season opener against the Jaguars.
The highest annual salary ($19 million if he achieves bonuses in the final two years), and most guaranteed money ever given to a wide receiver, may change the perspective of Beckham’s performances, but the long-scrutinized receiver doesn’t believe the massive contract adds any additional pressure.
The three-time Pro Bowler just finally wants to live up to his own expectations.
“I don’t know if it puts any extra[ responsibility] that I haven’t already put on myself,” Beckham said. “I know that my goals are, if not the same, higher. I just want to be able to be my very, very best.
“Honestly, it sounds crazy enough, but I don’t think I’ve done anything really since I’ve been here. I have goals for myself. I don’t think I have truly been able to achieve them even with the success that I’ve had. It’s not really where I want to be. Like I said, before I was even in the NFL, I wanted to be legendary. Yeah, the money is great, you can take care of your family, you can take care of kids one day that you’ll possibly have, but my goal was always to be in the Hall of Fame, to win trophies, to be able to leave a legacy that will be remembered way past any money that you make.”
Though John Mara expressed frustration in March with Beckham’s off-field issues, the owner’s decision to finalize the deal was eased by the receiver showing up for training camp on time, and running, and leaping, as if he’d never been carted off the field.
Mara said he considered giving Beckham this season to “prove himself,” but felt that he’d seen enough to believe his maturity was catching up with his talent.
“We wanted him to come in with the right attitude. Obviously, wanted to see if he was healthy. I think he checked both of those boxes,” Mara said. “His energy level has been off the roof. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. We feel good about having him on our team for the next five years.”
The injury is behind Beckham. The contract, too.
The Jaguars are all he needs to think about.
“I think that’s the best part about this is now I don’t have to worry,” Beckham said. “Now I can go out there 100 percent. Some g uys, you’re out there playing and you’re thinking about a contract and you’re thinking I don’t want to get hurt, I don’t want to do this, and now that it’s behind me, I feel like there’s no worries. It’s a weight lifted [off ] my shoulders.”