Odell Beckham Jr. news: Free agent WR suing Nike for "willfully withholding millions of dollars and inventing excuses not to pay him"
Odell Beckham Jr., who currently a free agent, has filed a lawsuit versus the apparel company Nike. The three-time Pro Bowl wideout commented that company “screwed him out of millions.” The former Los Angeles Rams wideout took to Twitter, releasing a statement with respect to the lawsuit against Nike. He talked about fufilling a dream being a Nike athlete, but the company ultimately didn't honor their side of the agreement.
Beckham Jr. said:
“Being a Nike Athlete and Brand Icon was a dream I’ve had since being a young boy. I wanted to be the next Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, LeBron James or Kobe Bryant in the Nike Family. When Nike exercised its right of first refusal to match the Adidas offer and not only kept me as a Nike Athlete, but also made me one of their Brand Icons—my dream had been fulfilled."
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Beckham Jr. added:
"Unfortunately, Nike did not honor its commitments. Throughout our partnership, I have kept my promise and fulfilled my obligations to the brand. I am extremely disappointed that I’ve had to take these measures to ensure Nike fulfills their obligations and promises.”
Why is Odell Beckham Jr. suing Nike?
Odell Beckham Jr. asserted that he wanted to go to one of Nike's rivals, Adidas, after his initial deal with Nike ended in 2017. However, Nike utlized its right to match the multi-million-dollar offer from Adidas. The Super Bowl-winning receiver says Nike has withheld millions in compensation and royalties since 2017.
He later learned that Nike held the money because Nike said he committed footwear and glove breaches when he modified his equipment towards the end of last season. Beckham said he didn't commit the breaches. He said he was forced to personally customize his cleats since Nike didn't provide him with cleats that matched the colors of his new team, the Los Angeles Rams.
The free agent receiver claims Nike didn’t entirely match the wording in the Adidas contract. This led to complications between Nike and Beckham Jr. in the future.
Their relationship between the former LSU Tigers star and Nike went from bad to worse in March 2022. Nike supposedly held over $2 million of the almost $2.6 million he was supposed to be given. The 30-year-old claims he had correspondence with Nike regarding the disparity in wages. He also inquired about the status of his guaranteed extension deal.
The former New York Giants star was reportedly told by Nike that he had failed to meet the needed criteria by nearly $70 million. Odell alleges Nike “stopped actively manufacturing and/or selling royalty generating products after 2020” in an effort to guarantee that he didn't meet the aforementioned criteria.
Odell Beckham Jr. credited the disagreements with Nike over the threshold to “incorrect language” in their contract. Overall, Odell Beckham Jr. says he sustained damages of over $20 million. We'll see how this lawsuit fares as it's in the preliminary stage.
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