Beckham Jr. signs 5-year extension
Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants is now the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver.
The Giants on Monday announced they have signed Beckham to a fiveyear contract extension that will keep the threetime Pro Bowler with the franchise for another six seasons.
While terms were not disclosed, the deal with the 25-year-old, 2014 firstrounder is worth about $95 million with $65 million guaranteed.
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.
Beckham, who missed most of last season with a broken left ankle, was scheduled to make $8.4 million in the final year of his rookie contract.
In his first four seasons, Beckham has caught 313 passes for 4,424 yards and 38 touchdowns.
Beckham has not played in any of the Giants’ three preseason games as new coach Pat Shurmur has taken a very cautious approach with the catalyst to his offense coming off his first major professional injury.
Jaguars WR Lee out for season
Marqise Lee will have season-ending knee surgery and be placed on injured reserve, coach Doug Marrone said Monday.
Lee, who led the team in receptions in 2017, was carted off the field Saturday night after Atlanta Falcons cornerback Damontae Kazee delivered a helmet-first hit to his knee.
Marrone declined to provide specifics about Lee’s injury but said the team has no plans to pursue a freeagent replacement.
Lee had 56 catches for 702 yards and three touchdowns last season, showing enough growth to get a four-year, $34 million contract in March that included $16.5 million guaranteed.
Without him, Keelan Cole, former Oklahoma star Dede Westbrook, second-round draft pick DJ Chark and veteran Donte Moncrief will be asked to take on expanded roles.
Seahawks LB Wright has surgery, status for opener unknown
The Seattle Seahawks could be without linebacker K.J. Wright for the season opener at Denver after the defensive leader had arthroscopic surgery on his knee.
Coach Pete Carroll said Monday that Wright came out of last week’s preseason game against Minnesota feeling something off in his knee and made the decision to have surgery.
Carroll did not provide details about the surgery or on how long Wright might be out, but said it was uncertain whether Wright would be ready for the Sept. 9 opener. Wright’s backup is rookie Shaquem Griffin.
Raiders trade Switzer to Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers bolstered their return game on Monday, acquiring wide receiver Ryan Switzer from the Oakland Raiders.
Pittsburgh sent a fifthround pick in the 2019 draft to the Raiders for Switzer and Oakland’s sixth-round pick in 2019.
The Steelers have spent most of training camp experimenting at punt returner, with little success.
Switzer, a fourth-round pick by Dallas in 2017, averaged 8.8 yards per return last season for the Cowboys. He returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown in a victory over Washington.