Odell Beckham as NFL’s highest-paid player is “stupid,” says Pat Kirwan

The idea of making Odell Beckham Jr. the highest-paid player in the NFL is “stupid,” according to former NFL executive and current Sirius XN NFL Radio analyst Pat Kirwan.

Beckham, of course, is set to play the 2018 season on a fifth-year option worth $8.459 million. He has said in the past that he would like to be the game’s highest-paid player, which would put him in the ballpark of the five-year, $150 million deal quarterback Matt Ryan recently got from the Atlanta Falcons.

No one sees that as realistic.

“He’s not getting that deal. He’s just not getting it,” Kirwan said.

Kirwan points out that the deal that should be the benchmark for a new Beckham contract is the five-year, $82.5 million deal Mike Evans got from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Beckham’s deal, whether he gets it this year or next, could easily top that mark.

The Giants have been consistent in saying that they are not in a hurry to get Beckham signed to a long-term deal. They do have the option of letting him play this season and using the franchise tag in 2019. That, of course, is not anyone’s ideal scenario.