When should Giants fans worry about Odell Beckham Jr’s contract?
The good news for Giants’ fans is that Odell Beckham Jr. is planning to show up for training camp. The bad news is he’s no closer to signing a new deal.
It’s too early for Giants fans to start panicking over Odell Beckham Jr’s contract status, but it is time to start paying more attention. The talented wideout continues to tell reporters he’ll attend training camp in just under six weeks, but that doesn’t mean he and the team are making progress on a new contract.
In fact, reports close to the situation claim there’s been “no movement at all in negotiations.” In other words, the team seems to be content to let their star wideout play out the last year of his current contract. There’s practically no chance Beckham Jr. and his representatives will allow that to happen.
In fairness to the team, Dave Gettleman’s recent diagnosis of lymphoma may have their front office focusing on other things. The GM certainly has every right to prioritize his health over any contractual issues. However, the clock is ticking for the team to take care of Beckham Jr. before training camp comes around.
It would be much more encouraging if the two sides at least seemed to be making progress. It’s unclear whether or not any meaningful conversation is actually happening at the moment. If both sides don’t engage in productive talks soon they may run out of time to strike an agreement before camp. That will, at the very least, cause Beckham Jr. to reconsider his promise to attend training camp.
It’s also possible both sides are watching developments between the Falcons and Julio Jones as a guide on how to proceed. Jones is in the middle of his current deal with Atlanta, but he’s significantly underpaid. If he and the Falcons can reach a new deal soon it might reset the market for wide receivers seeking new deals.
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No matter what’s happening in Atlanta the Giants and Beckham Jr. need to start making progress soon. The longer both sides wait, the higher the odds of a protracted holdout become. That would be a bad result for everyone involved.