5 burning questions the New York Giants need to answer in 2018

5. Is Odell Beckham, Jr. healthy?

2018 is Beckham’s last season under his rookie contract. He has wanted a new contract since last offseason when he said he wanted to be the highest paid player in the league.

Unless he becomes a top-tier starting quarterback, that won’t happen.

But Beckham has his sights set on a deal that would pay him $20 million per year. That may seem high, but Antonio Brown makes $17 million.

Beckham has been a superstar-caliber player since his first NFL game in 2014. He’s earned $10.4 million over his first four years and will make roughly $8.5 million in 2018. He’s definitely outperformed his compensation thus far and earned a massive new deal.

The Giants have been apprehensive of committing to Beckham long term due to his various acts of immaturity—proposing to a kicking net, imitating a dog relieving himself as a touchdown celebration, flying to Florida for a party the week of a playoff game.

Another complication has been the broken ankle Beckham suffered in Week 5 last season. Beckham initially injured the ankle in a preseason game last year against the Cleveland Browns. The injury looked serious, but Beckham only missed one game before making his season debut in Week 2 before fracturing it in Week 5.

Beckham is expected to be cleared for training camp and shouldn’t hinder him from being a beast on the field again.

However, the injury increased Beckham’s urgency to get a new contract. He doesn’t want to risk another serious injury without having financial security.

Before the team was dismissed from Organized Team Activities, Beckham stated that he did not intend to hold out for a new contract.

But don’t expect to see him on the field before games that count. In February, Beckham responded to a fan’s tweet indicating he has no intention of playing in the preseason.

Beckham is the face of the franchise, and the uncertainty of his future could be a major distraction if not resolved before the season.