All offseason, we have heard that the Giants are not prioritizing a new contract for star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. In fact, the most recent report about the matter indicated that Big Blue had not so much as discussed an extension for OBJ, which makes sense given that he is under contract through 2018 at a very reasonable rate ($1.8MM this season, $8.5MM in 2018). Plus, the team could keep Beckham under club control for at least one more season after that through the franchise tag, and assuming Beckham continues to perform at the level he has established for himself, even the franchise tag salary might look like a bargain.
Nonetheless, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that both parties are open to working out an in-season extension. The Giants do not have a policy against in-season deals, and Beckham’s absence in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Cowboys only served to underscore his value. Beckham, of course, would love to get something done soon, as a new contract for him would represent a massive raise and could have a total value approaching $100MM.
The Giants have to be a little careful, because they do not want to set a precedent of handing out extensions to a player that has two years left on his deal. But Beckham is a generational talent, and New York brass has expressly stated that it wants OBJ to be a Giant for the rest of his career. If that’s the case, the Giants might have to do what they can to keep him happy, including making an exception to the two-year rule.
If anyone deserves such an exception, it’s Beckham. Through his first three seasons in the league, the 24-year-old has averaged nearly 100 catches per year for nearly 1,400 yards and 12 TDs. That puts him into rarefied air, and while La Canfora reports that negotiating a new deal will take work, it is hardly impossible.
Beckham has been battling an ankle injury that caused him to miss last week’s season opener, and he is questionable to make his 2017 debut against the Lions tomorrow night.