Former Miami Dolphins star and current free agent Odell Beckham Jr. has responded to criticisms over his recent remarks, explaining that living off a $100 million, five-year contract is more complicated than it appears. According to Beckham Jr., NFL players have to cope with the accompanying pressures that come with a high paycheck.
While the original comments came during a podcast episode in October, they resurfaced after former NFL player Shannon Sharpe criticized Beckham on his “Nightcap” podcast. However, Beckham Jr. has stuck to his argument, to the chagrin of many fans.
Fans Debate Odell Beckham Jr’s Claims About Big-Money Pressure and NFL Contracts
Apr 6, 2025; New York, New York, USA; NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. sits courtside during the second half of the NBA game between the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Apr 6, 2025; New York, New York, USA; NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. sits courtside during the second half of the NBA game between the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
While on “The Pivot” podcast, Beckham divided a $100 million contract into tons of expenses, including taxes, security, family responsibilities, agent fees, and other things. These expenditures, the athlete claims, often leave NFL players with significantly less than half.
Meanwhile, Beckham Jr. also highlighted the list of professionals who earn from the player’s paycheck, while asserting that the headline figure gets split among players across the seasons. For instance, OBJ says players could pay up to $60 million in taxes, leaving less than half the headline amount for players’ expenditure.
OBJ has an estimated net worth of about $45 million and has earned beyond $101 million during his 11 years in the NFL. Meanwhile, Sharpe, whose net worth is about a third of Beckham Jr’s, claims that most of the costs reflect personal preferences rather than necessities.
EMOTIONAL😭: Odell Beckham Jr says fans don’t realize how hard it is to live on a 5 yr./$100 million dollar contract.
"After taxes, it's only about $12 mil a year. After buying a house, cars and getting my mom a house, flexing, not much left."
Should we set-up a GoFundMe? pic.twitter.com/48xW6uAaH8
— Polymarket Football (@PolymarketBlitz) February 26, 2026
Since learning aboutOBJ’s views, many NFL fans have weighed in on the conversation.
One fan was quick to shun the athlete’s views with thetweet:“How sad😂😂 stfu I’d be happy with 1 mil”.
Anotherresponded in line with Sharpe’s analysis:“U could’ve bought a nice 500k house and 50k car. Og could drive a nice kia with a 250k house.”
While another user responsequipped,“This has to be fiction, right?”
A fourthresponse was seemed to summarize the issue:“No financial literacy. That’s the issue…Being financially stable is flex enough.”
Lastly, another commenter was quick todrop a stat in support of similar tweets:“Stfu the average American in their LIFETIME makes $2M”
In his defense, OBJ isn’t the first public figure to highlight how quickly money can disappear amid fame. Actress Taraji P. Henson has similarly spoken about the escalating costs that come with visibility and success, plus how even essential expenses like safety and staffing can be inexplicably financially draining.