We learned earlier this week that the Giants weren’t prioritizing a contract extension with star wideout Odell Beckham Jr., and that could be because the Pro Bowler is seeking a record-breaking deal. The 24-year-old said on Thursday that he was aiming to become the league’s highest-paid receiver, and he elaborated on those remarks on Friday.
“That’s what you want to do, you want to change the game,’’ Beckham told Paul Schwartz of The New York Post. “This is not just for Odell Beckham, this is for everybody in the league, people who deserve it.
“You sit there and you watch the NBA, it’s crazy. Being realistic, it’s crazy what they’re getting. And there’s people in the NFL who deserve that, I want to do, if I can, be on the forefront for it and help push the league, the game that way, because I feel like the fans deserve it, I feel like we go through a lot, we put ourselves through a lot. They just deserve it. It’s not for me.’’
As our own Connor Byrne noted earlier this week, the top-paid honor usually belongs to quarterbacks, with Raiders signal-caller Derek Carr currently holding the distinction. Steelers wideout Antonio Brown‘s $17MM annual salary is the highest value at his position. Beckham is set to play the upcoming season on a $1.8MM salary, although the organization did pick up his $8.5MM fifth-year option for 2018.
Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…
- Although Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said an NFL decision on running back Ezekiel Elliott could be handed down “imminently,” no announcement is expected today nor this weekend, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The league is reportedly wrapping up its investigation into domestic violence allegations against Elliott, and while Jones claimed his own review of the evidence indicated Elliott had done nothing wrong, a short suspension is still expected. If Elliott is banned, Dallas will turn to a cadre of Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris, and the newly-signed Ronnie Hillman in the backfield.
- Former offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre will be joining the Seahawks coaching staff as an offensive assistant, according to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com. The 2011 undrafted free agent out of South Carolina spent six seasons in Seattle, appearing in 63 games (11 starts). The 30-year-old also appeared in nine postseason games, and he earned a ring after the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII.
- The Bears have promoted former Pro Scouting Direction Champ Kelly to Assistant Director of Player Personnel, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). According to the reporter, the Dolphins tried to “lure away” Kelly this past offseason, but Chicago clearly had bigger plans for the executive. The former United Indoor Football general manager has been with the Bears organization since 2015, and he previously spent time as the Broncos’ Assistant Director of Pro Personnel.
- Biggs passes along (on Twitter) that the Bears have also promoted several other members of their scouting team. Chris White is now one of the team’s pro scouts, while Scott Hamel and Brendan Rehor have been promoted to area scout and combine scout, respectively.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
I’ve been a Giant fan a long time, this guy
Obj needs to keep playing, act like an adult
And he’ll get paid. But the highest paid…
In your dreams.
Exactly. These guys talk to much. He’ll get a worthy contract. Every year someone signs the big contract…..
it’s sad when ur trying to the highest player, not trying to be the best player at ur position, no super bowl win for the team, no OBJ wants that money but see he’s to busy seeing what NBA players are getting to focus on his own game I agree with Ships play ur own game,grow up, and stop worrying about that money
Jerry Jones ….. The mother Hen of football…….
Go play in the NBA OBJ
He didn’t say he deserves $40M a year. He’s saying that NBA players make too much compared to what NFL players make. There’s no comparison to the physical impact of playing in the NFL compared to the NBA. And he’s right to a degree. He’s saying that the higher his contract, the higher contracts will be for other players in the future.
Which is why OBJ shouldn’t get a lid-lifting contract. People like him are the reason why the mid-level veterans are getting squeezed, because the NFL will never be like the NBA and owners will find ways to keep costs down.
Think about this objectively, fellas. You have some of the largest human beings on earth crashing into each other at car wreck speeds on every, single, play. We’re talking about people who possess world class strength, world class speed, and freakish athleticism. It’s the toughest professional sport in the world to play and excel at.
That said, NFL salary contracts are a complete joke compared to the NBA. ALL NBA contracts are guaranteed, regardless of performance or injury. In the NFL, you can get cut at any time for any reason. Only a tiny percentage of contracts are guaranteed, but it’s never 100% like the NBA. These guys have zero job security despite substantial long term health risks.
Considering all that, the point made is profound: NFL players are getting shafted, and NBA players are incredibly overcompensated in comparison. If the NFLPU weren’t so weak and unresponsive to the needs of it’s members, player contracts would be more lucrative, as they should be.