New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. might end up demanding the richest contract in NFL history here soon. It’s cash the Giants themselves could potentially end up paying him. But what if that’s not enough for the Pro Bowl receiver?
Beckham Jr. took to the media recently indicating that NFL stars are underpaid compared to their NBA counterparts. He did so while indicating they deserve to get paid more.
“You want to change the game,” Beckham said, via Pro Football Talk. “You watch people in the NBA, and it’s crazy what they get. There are people in the NFL who deserve that. I just to be at the forefront, help push the league, the game that way, because I feel like the players deserve it.”
This has been an ongoing debate since Stephen Curry and James Harden both signed record deals in excess of $200 million earlier in the month. Meanwhile, Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr received the richest contract in NFL history at $125 million over five seasons with $70.2 million guaranteed.
Beckham Jr. is right to point out the wage gap between the NFL and NBA, but there’s a lot more to this. The New York Giants’ payroll for the 2017 season is more than the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors. Employing 53 men on an active roster compared to 15 changes the name of the game a little bit.
With that said, the NFLPA has failed in helping its players earn a larger piece of the NFL revenue pie. It started with the 2011 collective bargaining agreement and has only been magnified since then. If Beckham Jr. wants to loft criticism anywhere, it should be at his own union.