LAST UPDATE | 27 Aug 2018
ODELL BECKHAM JR has signed a lucrative new five-year deal with the New York Giants.
It was reported on Monday that the deal will make Beckham the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history.
The 25-year-old’s contract extension is said to be worth $95million, with Beckham set to get the highest guarantee ever for a receiver at $65million and average $20million over the first three years.
“It’s a five-year extension, six years total,” Giants general manager David Gettleman said. “We got him until he’s 108. 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.”
Here to stay! 🖋@OBJ_3 talks contract extension: https://t.co/WOVhfF0Uh7 pic.twitter.com/1LzomvCbnl
— New York Giants (@Giants) August 27, 2018
Said Beckham: “Honestly, I don’t even know how to explain it. I don’t know if it’s a relief, I don’t know – it’s a combination of everything.
You’ve worked all your life to get to this point and it’s finally here. I have to thank Mr. Mara, Steve Tisch, Mr. Gettleman, coach [Pat] Shurmur, Eli [Manning], all the guys I played with in the past years.
“Everybody was really a part of this – my mom, my dad, my family, everybody who was supporting me through this. It’s just such an amazing feeling, I can’t even explain.
“It was just a time of patience and waiting and 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.”
Mood. pic.twitter.com/T0ipqEjPdq
— New York Giants (@Giants) August 27, 2018
And Beckham insisted that his big-money deal wouldn’t detract from his motivation on the field of play.
“This just kind of secures you and your family, and the ones that are going to come along after you in your family,” he said.
For me, it’s not going to change my goals that I have on the field. If anything, it just increased them even more. I just want to be able to come out and play football the way that I’ve always played, the way that I love it and have some of my best years that I’ve ever had in my entire life. This is nothing but more motivation to go even harder and to do even better.
“The offense seems to be amazing,” he added. “I feel like we’re going to be able to put up a lot of points and do it in a bunch of different ways.
“We have so many explosive playmakers on this team. Evan Engram, [Sterling] Shep[ard], Cody [Latimer], Saquon [Barkley].
The O-line is playing at a high level, they look very together, and it’s time for Eli to bring us home. It’s time for him to bring us back to what we all dream of doing, which is winning a Super Bowl, so the goals are never going to change, it’s just that time to go is now.
The journey continues... pic.twitter.com/xaH5Y1fedg
— New York Giants (@Giants) August 27, 2018
The two sides began discussing details of Beckham’s contract earlier this month, and the three-time Pro Bowl player expressed optimism on Twitter last week that his patience would soon pay off.
Beckham sat out most of last season after suffering an ankle injury but his production for New York has been unmatched after three consecutive seasons with over 1,300 receiving yards from his rookie year to 2016.
“As I have said, I think Odell personally is moving in the right direction,” said John Mara, the Giants’ president and chief executive officer. “He came to camp with a tremendous attitude, with a smile on his face and worked hard and reminded us of his unique abilities. He’s ready to have a great season and we’re ready for him to have a great season.”
“It was not a distraction because of the way we handled it,” added Gettleman. “The way he handled it, the way we handled it. I was thrilled when he spoke to the media at training camp. I was thrilled he said it’ll get done when it gets done, because that’s what it is.
“You can’t force things – it’s a negotiation. It’s a back and forth, both sides have to be intentional and thoughtful, which we were. We got to the right answer as far as I’m concerned.”
The Giants end their preseason on Thursday against old Super Bowl foes the New England Patriots before hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars to open in their regular season opener on 9 September.
