5 plays that explain why Odell Beckham Jr. is the NFL’s highest-paid receiver

Odell Beckham Jr. is now the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history when the Giants signed him to a five-year, $95 million extension this week.

When Beckham is on the field, his talent is undeniable. He’s arguably the best receiver in the game and a crucial piece to the Giants’ offensive success. There’s no way the Giants could have afforded to let their best player walk, so it was smart of them to lock him up for the future.

Beckham can do it all, from making contested catches deep down the field to accelerating for big plays after the catch. Here are five plays that show why the Giants’ felt comfortable giving him a mega extension.

He caught this through contact on the pass interference, snagged the ball with three fingers, and kept both of his feet inbounds. There might not be five people in the history of the game that can do this.

Once Beckham gets into the open field, he legitimately does move like a running back. He has the acceleration to erase the angles of pursuing defenders, and he’s creative enough to make defenders miss in the open field.

Beckham scored 38 touchdowns in his first 45 career games. The only players in NFL history to equal that or do better are Rob Gronkowski, Randy Moss, and Jerry Rice. That’s pretty good company.

Beckham’s ability to leap over defenders for poorly thrown balls is incredible considering he’s not a big receiver. Assuming he can stay healthy, he should continue to score touchdowns at an incredible pace this year.

What’s the point of all of this if we can’t have a little fun? This was a well-earned contract extension for one of the premier talents in football.