Report: Beckham won't set foot on field without extension
New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. appears prepared to do whatever it takes to land the new multi-year agreement he covets.
The Giants exercised Beckham's fifth-year option for the 2018 season, but their star player won't set foot on a field this season until a new contract extension is agreed to, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.
Beckham, who recorded seasons of 1,300-plus yards and 10-plus touchdowns in each of his first three years in the league, said last year he wants to be the NFL's highest-paid player.
Giants co-owner John Mara said at the owners' meetings in Orlando on Sunday that a new contract with Beckham will "get done when it's supposed to get done," according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. However, he also expressed his agitation with the number of incidents his receiver has been involved in.
Among the fodder for tabloid headlines were Beckham's boat trip in Miami with teammates just days ahead of a playoff game in 2016, the player's many emotional outbursts on the field and sidelines, and a viral video posted early this month that appeared to show him in the presence of drugs.
"I'm tired of answering questions about Odell's behavior and what the latest incident is," Mara said. "I think he knows what we expect of him and now it's up to him."
When asked if the latest controversy would play a role in contract negotiations, Mara admitted: "It wasn't helpful."
But the Giants have long established the receiver is a talent they can't afford to lose. While the team is overhauling its roster after a disappointing 3-13 finish in 2017, Mara said he isn't actively seeking to trade Beckham, and admitted moving him is "not a scenario I would like to see happen."
However, he didn't make any guarantees about Beckham's future.
"When you're coming off a season when you're 3-13 and played as poorly as we played, I wouldn't say anybody's untouchable."
The 25-year-old wideout is coming off a season in which he suffered an ankle injury in the preseason and a broken leg in Week 5 that kept him off the field for the rest of the year.
He has suggested he won't play a single snap in the preseason in 2018, and now it appears that threat could extend into the regular season.
If Beckham can't agree to an extension with the Giants, he'll be a candidate for their franchise tag in 2019 and 2020. The tag is currently paying receivers $15.9 million for one season, which wouldn't meet his desire to be even the highest-paid player at his position.
Coming into a contract year after a season shortened due to injury, Beckham's only leverage is to withhold his services if the two sides can't come to an agreement on a multi-year megadeal.