The Kansas City Chiefs were likely wise to stay clear of Odell Beckham Jr.’s asking price given the contract he signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
The assumption is that Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach had a financial line he would not cross. It’s been his modus operandi for the last few years, and it’s hard to imagine he would waver from it in the face of Odell Beckham Jr.
That’s a good thing.
On Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens were announced as the “winners” of the Odell Beckham sweepstakes. After weeks and months of flirtation with a number of franchises—from the New York Jets to the Dallas Cowboys to the Chiefs—Beckham finally landed an actual contract offer after sitting out for more than a year with a serious injury.
The Ravens ended up having to offer an eye-popping $15 million guaranteed for a single season that includes incentives that could take things as high as $18M. That total is not bad for an elite WR, so the incentivized side actually makes sense. If Courtland Sutton and Allen Robinson were due greater cap hits than that in 2023, that’s not the worst amount—especially with only one year attached.
That said, it’s the $15 million floor provided for Beckham that really stands out. Far more productive wide receivers in recent years are signing for a mere fraction of that, even for a single season. Beckham hasn’t even averaged 50 yards per game played since the 2019 season, and he’s hardly healthy enough to earn that level of production given he’s missed 29 games since the 2020 season began—including all of last year.
The Chiefs have been linked to Beckham for a solid six months now—going back to rumors last fall that had them linked—but it’s ultimately good to see the Chiefs hold onto their money if Beckham’s uncertain path ahead is the prize for nearly $20 million these days. There are more important positions to address and/or extensions to offer than rolling the dice at wideout.
If the Chiefs lacked reasons to believe in the future at the position, then Beckham might make more sense at that price tag. The Ravens paid that “tax” for a reason, since their GM threw the position under the bus earlier this offseason. Rashod Bateman wants off of the team, and they don’t even know if Lamar Jackson will be back or not. Given their run-heavy attack, it’s no surprise that wide receivers don’t want to play for the Ravens.
Fortunately, Skyy Moore will carry a greater load in 2023 and Kadarius Toney should thrive with a full year in Andy Reid’s offense. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is also a nice holdover target for Patrick Mahomes. And let’s not forget that Travis Kelce holds this offense together as the best tight end of his generation.
The Chiefs might end up paying someone at wide receiver here in good time. Maybe another free agent shakes loose. Maybe a trade for DeAndre Hopkins happens after all. Or maybe the Chiefs wait until the trade deadline in a few months to make their ultimate move before the stretch run. But in the end, they’ll likely be thankful that they decided not to match or beat whatever the Ravens were offering Beckham.