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Report: Odell Beckham Jr.'s Ravens Contract 'Still Getting Talked About' Around NFL

Adam Wells

Two months after Odell Beckham Jr. signed with the Baltimore Ravens, terms of his one-year deal remain a point of discussion within the NFL.

Per CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, Beckham's contract is "still getting talked about around the league."

The Ravens gave Beckham a one-year deal with $15 million guaranteed. He can also earn an additional $3 million in incentives if he hits certain benchmarks for receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

Jones noted people he talked with call the contract "very un-Baltimore" and one of the main reasons there hasn't been much movement with free-agent wide receivers.

Most notably, DeAndre Hopkins seemed to be have a close eye on Beckham's pact with the Ravens. The five-time Pro Bowler was expected to be traded at some point this offseason before the Arizona Cardinals released him on May 26.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Hopkins' 2023 salary and Beckham's contract made it difficult for the Cardinals to find a trade partner.

The guaranteed money Baltimore gave Beckham was a surprise. He sat out the entire 2022 season recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the second quarter of Super Bowl 56 when he was playing for the Los Angeles Rams.

The 30-year-old had more than 1,000 yards in five of his first six seasons, but he had a total of 856 yards in 2020 and 2021 combined. Injuries limited him to just seven games in 2020 and his relationship with Baker Mayfield fell apart, resulting in the Cleveland Browns releasing him midway through the 2021 season.

Beckham only averaged 38.1 receiving yards per game in eight regular-season appearances with the Rams, but he was terrific in the playoffs with 25 receptions and 316 yards in four games before the ACL injury.

There's some thought the Ravens paid to sign Beckham as a way to help appease Lamar Jackson, who NFL.com's Ian Rapoport noted was recruiting the three-time Pro Bowler to Baltimore.

If Beckham comes back this season and plays like he did for the Rams during their run to the Super Bowl, his contract will look like a bargain relative. If he looks like the player who averaged fewer than 50 receiving yards per game in 2020 and 2021, the Ravens' decision that's already raising some eyebrows will be even more scrutinized.

   

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