Odell Beckham Jr made it no secret during the offseason that he was seeking a new contract, but no real progress was made in talks between his camp and the New York Giants. That does not necessarily mean Beckham will have to play out the entire 2017 season under his rookie deal.
Sources told Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports that both Beckham and the Giants are open to the possibility of working out a contract extension during the season. Beckham will earn a base salary of just $1.8 million this season and will make $8.5 million in 2018 after the Giants picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. The 24-year-old wants to be paid like one of the top wide receivers in the game, which would bring his average annual salary into at least the $15 million range.
As La Canfora notes, the Giants do not have a team policy that prevents negotiating a long-term contract in the middle of the season. Beckham also may have gained even more leverage after New York’s offense looked completely anemic without him in a Week 1 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
While the recent update he shared about his ankle injury did not make Giants fans feel optimistic, Beckham has been trending in the right direction and has a decent chance to play Monday night. If he knows the team is open to negotiating a contract extension in the coming days, he may be more willing to play at less than 100 percent health.
