J-Speaks: Record-Setting Deal For New York Football Giants Star Wideout

In the first three seasons of his NFL career, New York Football Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. was one of the most electrifying, dynamic, and thrilling players in the league making over 95 catches, garnering over 1,300 receiving yards and authoring double digit touchdowns. He has also in those first three seasons been an immature headache at times both on the field and off. His 2017 season was cut short when in October he broke his ankle and while he was rehabbing heard his name in trade talks in March and in the final days of July. Through hard work in rehab, change his antics and being with the team during off-season training activities and at the start of training camp, Beckham was rewarded with a record setting deal. 

On Monday, the Giants signed Bechkam, Jr. to a five-year extension worth at the max $95 million, which includes a total guarantee of $65 million, making him the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL history. 

To put how huge this new deal is for the three-time Pro Bowl selection and two time Second-Team All-Pro selection, it is $10 million more in guaranteed money than the $55 million that Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans got in his new deal earlier this off-season. Wideout Brandin Cooks signed a deal earlier this season with the defending National Football Conference West champion Los Angeles Rams earning $50.5 million guaranteed. Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins got in his new deal $49 million in guaranteed money. 

“You’ve worked all your life to get to this point and it’s finally here,” Beckham, Jr. said on signing his record-breaking contract extension. “This is just truly amazing; I don’t even know the right words to describe…This is nothing but more motivation to get even harder and to do even better.” 

A big part of that motivation is what went into rehabilitating that ankle he injured back a mentioned in August that required season-ending surgery a season ago. 

Giants’ co-owner John Mara also noted at the start of this week that one big reason that this deal was able to get done was because of how the team’s star wideout conducted himself the past few months. 

According to ESPN Giants’ Reporter Jordan Raanan, Beckham, Jr. spent the past five months regaining trust with the team that drafted him No. 12 overall out of LSU in 2014. 

He also pointed out how Bechkham, Jr. tried to put all of his focus on football, continuing to develop a strong relationship with new head coach Pat Shurmur, who he consistently communicated via text messages. He showed up for the start the Giants off-season training program, off-season training activities (OTA’s), mini-camps and training camp. 

Beckham according to the Giants’ front office has said and did all the right things, which included leaving contract negotiations, which began in July in the hands of his agent Zeke Shandhu. 

Mara pointed specifically to how Bechkam, Jr., who has yet to play in the preseason took part in joint practices in Detroit earlier this month as the moment neared of his contract being finalized. 

It also helped that new Giants general manager Dave Gettleman noticed how Beckham handle himself during this summer, which mattered a great deal to the Giants front office. 

“The need to trust him in order to make him the highest paid wide receiver in NFL history,” Raanan said of Beckham needed to show the Giants before beginning putting his contract extension together. “He eventually did and he earned it.” 

“I was confident it was going to get done. It was just a matter of when,” Mara said on Monday. “He went out to Detroit and took part in those practices at full speed and looked great. He was ready to go and we were satisfied that he was healthy and had the right attitude. It was just a question of time.” 

Beckham and the Giants reaching this moment was not always a guarantee. The team had left the door open for all possibilities at the NFL meetings in March for teams to put in their trade offers for Beckham. While the Giants did not have him on the trade block, they were willing to listen to other team’s pitches for him. 

Beckham referred to that as rumors and noise when asked about it a few weeks back and Mara downplayed it when his deal was signed. 

“I think a lot of you overreacted to that. You were asking me if anyone is untouchable. There is nobody that is untouchable, especially when you’re coming off 3-13,” Mara said about the Giants from a season ago. “So, are we going to listen to phone calls when they come in? Yeah, of course you’re going to do that. It would be irresponsible not to. But it was always our intention he would be part of this team.” 

Beckham, Jr. will not only be a part of the Giants this season when they kickoff their 2019 season on Sept. 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he will be with the Giants through the 2023 NFL campaign, at an $18 million per season salary, a record for a wideout. His $65 million in total guarantees is not only a NFL record as well but is tied with his teammate in two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Eli Manning for ninth-most among current players. 

Last season, Beckham, Jr. said publicly he wanted to be the highest-paid player in the league. He stated on Tuesday that dream was not going to come to fruition, especially after Atlanta Falcons offensive signal caller in Matt Ryan got a new deal paying him $30 million per year. 

As mentioned earlier, in his first three seasons where he was completely healthy Odell Beckham, Jr. was putting up great numbers. 

He was also making headlines for his on-the-field antics like in Week 15 of the 2015 season versus the Carolina Panthers where he got into several confrontations with then cornerback Josh Norman, where he got flagged four times, including three personal foul penalties. 

Two years back before the Giants 38-13 loss at the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Wild Card Round of the playoffs in the 2016 season, Beckham Jr. and several of his teammates flew to Miami during their off day to party. There was a photo taken of them in South Florida with singer Trey Songz. 

In that 13-point loss, Beckham Jr. had just three receptions for 28 yards. After the game, he was so frustrated that he punched a hole in the wall of the visitor team’s locker room of Lambeau Field. The Giants agreed to pay for the damages and repairs were done 10 days later. 

With his new contract done and a new lease on his life both on and off the professional gridiron, the Giants hope that Odell Beckham Jr.’s focus on helping the Giants win more Vince Lombardi trophies and leaving the antics that made him a lightning rod behind him. 

“I don’t think that has ever been a plan,” Bechkham Jr. said. “Like I said, this is something you just get out of the way. Honestly, it sounds crazy enough but I don’t feel like I’ve done anything really since I’ve been here. For what I have goals for myself, I don’t feel like I’ve been able to truly 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 want 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 past any money that you make.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 8/27/18 11 p.m. edition of WABC 7 “Eyewitness News at 11,” with David Navarro, Sade Baderinwa, weather anchor Lee Goldberg and sports anchor Sam Ryan; 8/28/18 3 a.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter” with Kevin Connors and Zubin Mehenti; 8/28/18 www.espn.com article, “Odell Beckham Jr. Relieved To Have Contract Done,” by Jordan Raanan; www.espn.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/16733/seasontype/3; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odell_Beckham_Jr.