Beckham Jr. receives top deal: five years, $95M
Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants is now the NFL’s highestpaid wide receiver.
The Giants on Monday announced that they signed Beckham to a five-year contract extension that will keep the three-time Pro Bowler with the franchise for another six seasons.
Although terms were not disclosed, the deal with Beckham, 25, reportedly is worth about $95 million, with $65 million guaranteed.
“We got him until he’s 108,” Giants general manager Dave Gettleman quipped. “I never worried whether or not we would get it done. I’m pleased, because the litmus test for a contract is that neither side is ticked off before the ink can dry, and neither side should be ticked off. It’s a very fair deal.”
Beckham’s $19 million average salary would top the $17 million earned by Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers. His $95 million deal also tops the $82.5 million deal receiver Mike Evans has with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I knew that it would get done, it just was a matter of when, and I’m just so happy that it is finally done now,” Beckham said.
Beckham, who missed most of last season with a broken left ankle, has 313 catches for 4,424 yards and 38 touchdowns since being taken in the first round of the 2014 draft.
He has not played in any of the Giants’ three preseason games as new coach Pat Shurmur has taken a cautious approach. Beckham’s first game action since being hurt last Oct. 8 likely will be in the regular-season opener against Jacksonville at home on Sept. 9.
New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee recently took a hard hit from Bart Scott, a former linebacker and current radio host in New York.
Scott criticized Lee on air for what Scott thinks is a lack of toughness on the field. Scott said Lee turns down contact at times during games and hasn’t made any impact plays since being drafted by the Jets in the first round out of Ohio State in 2016.
“This guy, I don’t want to call him soft, but he’s a little plush,” Scott said. “I don’t understand how they keep allowing him to get away with this because I saw this last year. And I’m saying, ‘Maybe he’s young and maybe he needs to put a little bit of muscle on.’ But when you’re turning (contact) down in an era when you don’t even have any real fullbacks? Man, if I was in that locker room, I would have to tell him, ‘Look, bro, you either drop your marbles, or you need to take your bag and go.’ “
Lee said he was not aware of Scott’s Aug. 17 comments until he was asked about them after practice on Monday.
“I like Bart,” Lee said. “He’s a great guy. That’s all I’ve got to say. Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. … It comes with the territory, man. You can’t expect to get a pat on the back all the time. And if you are, that’s a bad look, a bad sign anyway.”
Marqise Lee, Jacksonville’s leading receiver last season, will have season-ending knee surgery and be placed on injured reserve, coach Doug Marrone said. Lee was carted off the field Saturday after Atlanta cornerback Damontae Kazee delivered a helmetfirst hit to his knee.