Odell Beckham is the latest athlete to throw his hat into the crypto ring, announcing Monday that he’ll receive his entire Rams salary ($1.25 million with another $3 million available in incentives) in Bitcoin. To thank fans for their support amid what has been a turbulent season, Beckham, who boasts nearly $80 million in career earnings, is giving away $1 million in BTC through his new partnership with Cash App.
With cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Dogecoin and Ethereum gaining steam as alternatives to traditional money, athletes, teams and owners have been quick to jump on the crypto bandwagon, using the new financial wave as an opportunity to grow their brand. That includes Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, an early adopter of FTX, a Caribbean-based platform that recently acquired the naming rights to what was once known as American Airlines Arena, home of the NBA’s Miami Heat. Similarly, the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Sparks—all tenants of Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles—made headlines with last week’s announcement that Staples Center will soon be rebranded as Crypto.com Arena, the result of a record $700-million naming rights deal.
Beckham is not the first NFLer to go this route. Just last season, former offensive lineman Russell Okung requested half his $13-million salary be paid in Bitcoin, earning the Panthers veteran a handsome profit.
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Beckham was used sparingly in his Rams debut last week (three targets on 11 offensive snaps), but should be more involved when Los Angeles returns to action in Week 12 after having the bye to absorb Sean McVay’s playbook. A three-time Pro Bowler with the Giants, Beckham’s once-promising career has quickly gone sideways with the Rams representing his third team in four years. OBJ’s next game will be against the Packers, who, along with the Rams, were one of his most aggressive suitors after the Browns cut him (at Beckham’s request) earlier this month.
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