It’s not very often that an NFL owner says something that takes away any semblance of leverage when discussing a top player. New York Giants co-owner John Mara has done the opposite discussing Odell Beckham Jr. In fact, it seems he’s ready to play hardball, instead.
“(The players) don’t want to hear the value you put on them because it hurts their feelings. They’re sad. This is a big boy league. You got to put your big boy pants on now,” he said, per John Healy of the New York Daily News.
Though, Mara did acknowledge Beckham is a player the Giants want to have around for the long term.
“I think I’ve got to sit with Dave and the new head coach and figure out exactly what is gonna happen here,” he said. “But let’s face it: players with his ability don’t come along very often, so yes I want him to be a part of this team’s future. As far as to when we actually do the contract, I think that’s up for discussion.”
The dynamic receiver is set to enter the final year of his rookie deal after the Giants opted to pick up his fifth-year option back in April. If the Giants don’t work out a long-term extension, he’ll earn over $8.4 million in 2018. It’s not chump change, but it’s also not a figure that measures up to Beckham’s worth compared to his peers. After all, the Green Bay Packers just extended Davante Adams on a deal that pays him around $14 million per year.
The big issue here is one of culture. New general manager Dave Gettleman has made it clear, by his words and by his actions, that he’s not messing around as he cleans house following a failed 2017 campaign. So the Giants are now tasked with figuring out who fits into their new culture, which is still a work in progress.
“There’s two kinds of players in this league, folks. There are guys who play professional football and professional football players,” he said. “The professional football players are the guys we want. I don’t want guys who want to win, I want guys who hate to lose. That’s the professional football player. That’s what you want.”
Obviously, Beckham Jr. hates to lose. He’s made that crystal clear on a number of occasions (like this). He’s also one of the best receivers in the game today and will be a key player in 2018 if he can stay healthy. Losing most of the 2017 season to injury certainly didn’t help Beckham’s case for a long-term deal.