While they want to sign Odell Beckham Jr. to a long-term contract, New York Giants team owner John Mara maintained that it is not their top priority right now. “There’s always a chance, but it’s not our No. 1 priority right now,” Mara told WFAN’s Mike Francesa. Mara said the franchise wants to get the deal done, but they will not put a timetable on it.
The 24-year-old Beckham skipped voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) as he wanted the Giants to rework the original deal that he signed as a rookie in 2014 where he scheduled to earn $1.8 million in the coming season.
The Giants exercised their fifth-year option on Beckham, giving him a salary of $8.5 million in 2018.
Giants team owner wishes there’s more Beckham in team
Despite the controversies he’s created in the past, Mara said Beckham is a smart player and has the strong desire to win the Super Bowl. “I wish we had a dozen more like him,” said Mara, adding that Beckham will experience a bumpy road from time to time, but, “I think in the long run he’s going to be fine.”
Mara expressed confidence that Beckham will remain a Giant for the rest of his career and he made that known to the wide receiver during a meeting last month. During their meeting, Mara told Beckham that he needs to control his emotions and his need to continue to grow and mature.
Beckham was criticized for attending a boat excursion before their playoff game against the Green Bay Packers last season. The Giants went on to lose that game badly, 38-13. After the game, Beckham punched a hole in the wall of their locker room in anger. Notwithstanding the incident, Giants general manager Jerry Reese said Beckham would be a “tremendous representative of the team in the future.”
Beckham one of the best wideouts today
A 12th overall pick by the Giants in 2014, Beckham caught 101 passes for 1,367 yards and ten touchdowns last season.
In his three years with the Giants, he tallied 288 catches for 4,122 yards and 35 touchdowns. However, Beckham was not even among the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL.
Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers tops the list with an average salary of $17 million while AJ Green of the Cincinnati Bengals follows suit with an annual salary of $15 million.
Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons earns an annual salary of $14.25 million while Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys and Demaryius Thomas both earn $14 million per season. TY Hilton of the Indianapolis Colts has a $13 million annual salary while Doug Baldwin of the Seattle Seahawks earns $11.5 million annually.
