The New York Giants made the signing of Odell Beckham Jr. to a massive new contract extension official on Monday afternoon. The Giants did not announce terms of the deal, believed to be worth $95 million, but they did discuss the length of the contract.
“It’s a five-year extension, six years total,” GM Dave Gettleman said via a statement released by the team. “We got him until he’s 108. I never worried whether or not we would get it done. 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. It’s a very fair deal.”
Beckham, who celebrated with teammates in the locker room after signing the deal, was grateful.
“Honestly, I don’t even know how to explain it,” Beckham said. “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. Most importantly, I have to thank God for being able to put me back together mentally, physically, spiritually. This is just truly amazing; I don’t even know the right words to describe.
“It was just a time of patience and waiting and I knew that it would get done, it just was a matter of when and I’m just so happy that it is finally done now.”
This is a deal co-owner John Mara has wanted to reach with Beckham for some time now.
“As I have said, I think Odell personally is moving in the right direction,” said Mara, the Giants’ president and chief executive officer. “He came to camp with a tremendous attitude, with a smile on his face and worked hard and reminded us of his unique abilities. He’s ready to have a great season and we’re ready for him to have a great season.”
“It was not a distraction because of the way we handled it,” Gettleman said. “The way he handled it, the way we handled it. I was thrilled when he spoke to the media at training camp. I was thrilled he said it’ll get done when it gets done, because that’s what it is. You can’t force things, it’s a negotiation. It’s a back and forth, both sides have to be intentional and thoughtful, which we were. It was great negotiating, it was a very good give and take with Kevin (Abrams, the assistant general manager) and Zeke (Sandhu, Beckham’s agent). We got to the right answer as far as I’m concerned.”
“It’s a great day for our franchise and our fans,” said chairman and executive vice president Steve Tisch. “I am excited about our future, especially with Odell and Eli and their teammates operating in Pat’s (Shurmur) offense. We have seen Odell grow. His enthusiasm and work ethic are contagious, and my hope for him and for us - and I know he feels the same - is for him to be remembered as one of the great Giants of all time.”
Beckham said the deal is “not going to change my goals.”
“This just kind of secures you and your family, and the ones that are going to come along after you in your family,” he said. “For me, it’s not going to change my goals that I have on the field. If anything, it just increased them even more. I just want to be able to come out and play football the way that I’ve always played, the way that I love it and have some of my best years that I’ve ever had in my entire life. This is nothing but more motivation to go even harder and to do even better.”