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Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. becomes highest-paid NFL WR with five-year, $95 million extension

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY


(Photo: Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)

Odell Beckham Jr.'s patience paid off in a big way.


The New York Giants' three-time Pro Bowl selection on Monday agreed to a five-year extension worth $95 million, including $65 million guaranteed, that makes him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports' Mike Jones. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the terms of the contract.

NFL Network was first to report the deal.

“Honestly, I don’t even know how to explain it,” Beckham said in a team release. “I don’t know if it’s a relief, I don’t know – it’s a combination of everything. You’ve worked all your life to get to this point and it’s finally here. I have to thank Mr. Mara, Steve Tisch, Mr. Gettleman, coach (Pat) Shurmur, Eli (Manning), all the guys I played with in the past years. Everybody was really a part of this - my mom, my dad, my family, everybody who was supporting me through this.

"It’s just such an amazing feeling, I can’t even explain."

The payout eclipses Antonio Brown's previous high for the position, set last February when he inked a four-year, $68 million extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In March, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Mike Evans signed a five-year extension worth up to $82.5 million, putting him just behind Brown in average annual salary.

"I’m pleased, because the litmus test for a contract is that neither side is ticked off before the ink can dry, and neither side should be ticked off," Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said in a news conference later Monday. "It’s a very fair deal."

Beckham, 25, played in just four games last season before undergoing season-ending ankle surgery. He was named to the Pro Bowl the previous three years and has 313 catches for 4,424 yards and 38 touchdowns in 47 games since he was selected in the first round in 2014.

Beckham elected not to wage a holdout against the Giants, attending a majority of voluntary offseason workouts before also joining in mandatory minicamp and training camp. He has been held out of preseason action amid contract discussions, but teammates and coaches have expressed little concern in his ability to return to the field at full force.

“All I know is, when he’s back on the field, he’s gonna be Odell Beckham Jr.," Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins said earlier Monday.