Odell Beckham Jr. Rumors: Execs Believe 'Incentive-Laden' Contract is 'Fair' for WR

Varying accounts of free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s asking price have filtered through the media, but some NFL executives believe they have a good idea of what a fair contract would look like.

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, "a few" NFL execs said an incentive-laden deal would be "fair under the circumstances," which include OBJ coming off missing the entire 2022 season because of a torn ACL.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported two weeks ago that Beckham was seeking a contract that would pay him $20 million annually, but Beckham denied the report in a tweet, writing: "I'm just so confused where the quote is from me that said I want 20 ... All I'm sayin is 4 AIN'T enough."

OBJ held a workout earlier this month, and representatives from 13 NFL teams were in attendance. Per Howe, some of the attendees said Beckham "still looked like a starter, cutting and changing direction with fluidity while catching the ball extremely well."

Others noted that he wasn't as explosive in the past, which was to be expected after a second ACL tear.

Beckham, 30, entered the league as the No. 12 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, and he was among the NFL's elite wideouts over his first three seasons.

He finished with at least 90 receptions, 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of those campaigns and was named a Pro Bowler all three times.

Beckham was ravaged by injuries the next two seasons, prompting the Giants to trade him to the Cleveland Browns. In parts of three seasons in Cleveland, Beckham dealt with more injuries and seemingly wasn't the same player that he was previously, so the Browns cut ties with him during the 2021 campaign.

OBJ signed with the Los Angeles Rams and revitalized his career, racking up 27 grabs for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular-season games.

He then put on a show during the Rams' playoff run, registering 21 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in four games.

That included the opening touchdown of L.A.'s Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals, although Beckham tore his ACL during that game and couldn't finish it out.

There are now some major question marks attached to Beckham after he missed an entire season, but he still stands out as the highest-ceiling wideout available in free agency.

The free-agent wide receiver market has been fairly tepid this offseason compared to previous seasons, as the highest annual salary for any receiver that signed in free agency is just $11 million, which is what Jakobi Meyers will get from the Las Vegas Raiders and Allen Lazard will get from the New York Jets.

Neither of those players perform particularly close to the level of a healthy Beckham, but it remains to be seen how OBJ will fare in game action.

Given that uncertainty, it is easy to understand why NFL teams would prefer to mitigate risk with an incentive-laden contract that would increase in value the more Beckham plays and puts up numbers.