Odell Beckham Jr.’s got money in the bank.
How Odell Beckham Jr.’s stats and salary stack up against other star NFL receivers
OBJ got paid on Monday as the Giants made it clear they want him in New York “until he’s 108.”
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Giants made their star wide receiver the highest paid skill player in the NFL on Monday with a five-year, $95 million deal, including $65 million guaranteed.
Beckham’s deal exceeds that of every other NFL receiver, no matter which way you look at it: total money, guaranteed money, yearly average, etc. Here’s how the deal compares to that of the NFL’s nine other highest paid (in total value) receivers.
NFL wide receiver salaries
Player | Total Value ▾ | Avg./Year | Total Guaranteed | Avg. Guar./Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odell Beckham Jr.* | $95,000,000 | $19,000,000 | $65,000,000 | $13,000,000 |
| Mike Evans | $82,500,000 | $16,500,000 | $38,258,000 | $7,651,600 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | $81,000,000 | $16,200,000 | $36,500,000 | $7,300,000 |
| Brandin Cooks | $81,000,000 | $16,200,000 | $20,459,000 | $4,091,800 |
| Jarvis Landry | $75,500,000 | $15,100,000 | $34,000,000 | $6,800,000 |
| Stefon Diggs | $72,000,000 | $14,400,000 | $16,907,000 | $3,381,400 |
| Julio Jones | $71,250,000 | $14,250,000 | $35,500,000 | $7,100,000 |
| Demaryius Thomas | $70,000,000 | $14,000,000 | $35,000,000 | $7,000,000 |
| Antonio Brown | $68,000,000 | $17,000,000 | $19,000,000 | $4,750,000 |
| TY Hilton | $65,000,000 | $13,000,000 | $11,000,000 | $2,200,000 |
| A.J. Green | $60,000,000 | $15,000,000 | $26,750,000 | $6,687,500 |
And here’s how OBJ’s stats compare to that of those nine other players.
*We’re using Beckham’s 2016 stats as he missed the majority of last season due to ankle injuries. All other players’ stats below are from the 2017 NFL season.
NFL wide receiver stats
Player | REC | TAR | YDS | TD | YDS/ game | FUM | First downs | Games played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odell Beckham Jr.* | 101 | 169 | 1,367 | 10 | 85.4 | 2 | 65 | 16* |
| Mike Evans | 71 | 135 | 1,001 | 5 | 66.7 | 1 | 55 | 15 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | 96 | 176 | 1,378 | 13 | 91.9 | 1 | 69 | 15 |
| Brandin Cooks | 65 | 114 | 1,082 | 7 | 67.6 | 0 | 42 | 16 |
| Jarvis Landry | 112 | 160 | 987 | 9 | 61.7 | 3 | 60 | 16 |
| Stefon Diggs | 64 | 95 | 849 | 8 | 60.6 | 0 | 42 | 14 |
| Julio Jones | 88 | 149 | 1,444 | 3 | 90.3 | 0 | 67 | 16 |
| Demaryius Thomas | 83 | 141 | 949 | 5 | 59.3 | 1 | 53 | 16 |
| Antonio Brown | 101 | 162 | 1,533 | 9 | 109.5 | 3 | 71 | 14 |
| TY Hilton | 57 | 108 | 966 | 4 | 60.4 | 2 | 38 | 16 |
| A.J. Green | 75 | 145 | 1,078 | 8 | 67.4 | 2 | 55 | 16 |
The numbers show Beckham is clearly one of the best receivers in the league. He has a quarterback who is able to get him the ball with high frequency, his hands are like glue, and he can create big plays with ease. In his first three seasons, Beckham netted more than 1,300 receiving yards, 10+ touchdowns and 90+ receptions each year. His injury-filled 2017 season aside, he’s been a reliable playmaker who makes the Giants’ offense tick.
If going by production and statistics, Beckham is deserving of being the highest paid receiver in the game.
Before his record-setting contract, OBJ set a ton of NFL records.
His records include:
- most receptions through the first 15 games of an NFL career (110)
- first rookie with 50+ receptions at home
- fastest player to reach 100 career receptions (14 games)
- youngest player in NFL history (22 years, 53 days) with multiple games having 10+ catches in a single season (4)
- first player since 1967 with 30 receiving touchdowns in his first 35 games
- only receiver with 3,000 receiving yards or more in his first 30 games (3,035)
- only player in NFL history to reach 200 catches in 30 or less games
- second most touchdowns by a wide receiver in his first two NFL seasons (since 1992)
Is that enough to prove he’s deserving of his new mega deal?
When considering the top 10 guys at any position, contract records just keep breaking as players hit or near free agency. The salary cap increases each year -- with no signs of slowing down -- and players continue to fight to make what they feel they’re worth. That’s what Cooks did earlier this year and why Jones demanded a restructured contract this offseason. The expectation was that Beckham’s contract would set new records and that’s exactly what happened. Whenever Aaron Donald signs an extension with the Rams (hey LA, we’re all waiting!), you can expect that deal to break all existing records for defensive linemen.
Beckham’s November 23, 2014 one-handed catch against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football made him a household name, but it’s the consistency with which he’s played that’s netted him a record-breaking contract.
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