How Beckham Can Maximize His Dolphins Contract

Three-time Pro Bowl selection Odell Beckham Jr. signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins

Odell Beckham Jr. / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Dolphins' acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr. was perhaps their most noteworthy of the offseason and we now have some insight into his incentive-laden one-year contract.

Beckham signed a one-year contract that includes $3 million guaranteed but could reach $8.25 million with incentives, and SI national NFL writer Albert Breer reported the breakdown of those incentives.

To reach his maximum for 2024, Beckham would need to finish with at least 55 receptions, 800 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

As previously reported, Beckham got a $1.79 million signing bonus and a fully guaranteed salary of $1.21 million for the $3 million in base pay. After that, per Breer, he needs the Dolphins to finish in the top 20 in the NFL in scoring to activate any of the incentives, something that shouldn't be an issue consider Miami was sixth and first the past two seasons.

Beyond that, Beckham will an additional $400,000 for 566 yards, another $800,000 for 650 yards, and another $1 million for 800 yards (for a max of $2.2 million); he’ll get $400,000 for 36 catches, another $800,000 for 45 catches, and another $1 million for 55 catches (for a max of another $2.2 million); and $400,000 for four touchdowns, and another $450,000 for six touchdowns (for a max of $850,000). That adds to the $5.25 million in incentives.

In 14 games with the Baltimore Ravens last season, Beckham had 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns. Those three numbers all came one short of triggering his 2024 incentives, and that was no accident. Because he didn't achieve any of those numbers, it kept the incentives from being classified as Likely To Be Earned (LTBE), which would have made them count against the 2024 salary cap.

As structured, Beckham's cap number will stay at $2.1 million. If any of the incentives are reached, they'll be applied on the 2025 cap.

The last time Beckham reached the three figures that will max out his 2024 contract in the same season was in 2018 in his final season with the New York Giants when he had 77 receptions for 1,056 yards and six touchdowns.

 The last time the Dolphins had three wide receivers with at least 36 catches was 2017 when Jarvis Landry led the NFL with 112 receptions, and Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker followed with 58 and 57, respectively.

In the two seasons with head coach Mike McDaniel and Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins' third-leading wide receiver was Braxton Berrios with 27 in 2023 and Trent Sherfield with 30 in 2022.