Three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is accustomed to being one of the highest-paid players at his position in the NFL.
Now a member of the Los Angeles Rams after shockingly opting to sign with the Super Bowl contenders earlier on Thursday, that’s no longer the case.
The recently-released former Cleveland Browns star will reportedly earn a base of $750,000 for the remainder of the season. According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the deal could be worth up to $4.25 million depending on incentives. At a minimum, the deal is worth $1.25 million.
Here’s how it breaks down.
| Signing bonus | Base salary | Incentives | Total potential value |
| $500,000 | $750,000 | $3 million | $4.25 million |
According to Rapoport, the $3 million in incentives come via team-based performance such as regular-season record and what the Rams do during the playoffs. It’s safe to say that Beckham Jr. could very well earn that $4.25 million over the course of just nine games with Los Angeles.
Prior to being released by the Browns, OBJ was playing under a five-year, $90 million extension with his former New York Giants team back in August of 2018. He’s now slated to hit free agency this coming March.
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Odell Beckham Jr. and his role with the Rams
Needless to say, the stud pass-catcher gave up money to move on from Cleveland. It became clear ahead of last week’s NFL trade deadline that he wanted out. After the Browns were not able to work out a trade, they did him a solid by moving the enigmatic wide receiver via the waiver wire.
Beckham now joins a Rams team that’s 7-2 on the season and clearly one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl this coming February.
The question now becomes what type of role OBJ will play in Los Angeles. Remember, DeSean Jackson was granted his release by the Rams last month due to a lack of playing time.
Right now, Cooper Kupp leads Rams players with 74 catches and 1,019 yards on 103 targets. Those 103 targets represent 32% of Matthew Stafford’s target shares this season. That’s an incredibly high number.
Either way, this is going to be something to watch for Beckham and his Rams starting this coming Monday night against the last-place San Francisco 49ers. The good news for OBJ is that he will once again hit free agency next March should things not work out.