Odell Beckham's Massive Contract Could Change NFL Economic Landscape

After signing a massive deal with the Giants Monday, Odell Beckham is now the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.

But, now that the bar has been extended, other star pass-catchers could move the chains even further.

Agents for receivers like Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, Tyreek Hill, Amari Cooper, and others will all likely use Beckham’s $95 million deal as a benchmark as they look to negotiate new contracts over the next year.

Since Beckham negotiated his contract before the final year of his current contract was up, those receivers could also try to angle for new deals prior to their final seasons under contract.

Since they are all at different spots in their respective careers — Jones is older, Thomas is younger, etc. — Beckham’s deal impacts them in different ways, but all can use it as a jumping off point to get paid. And paid a lot.

For the teams they are negotiating with, Beckham’s deal — which offers him a ton of guaranteed money up front but doesn’t cripple New York’s salary cap for years to come — is also a blueprint.

For Hill and the Chiefs, Beckham’s contract could be especially relevant.

“He’s a Day 3 draft pick who hasn’t made a lot of money,” salary cap expert J.I. Halsell said of Hill. “If they offered him $30 million fully guaranteed at signing — and Odell just got $41 million, to put that in perspective — to tell a kid to pass that up to get more when he hasn’t made a lot of money in his career, that’s tough. How do I pass up on that, even if it’s below the market?”