A much-awaited victory for Odell Beckham Jr.! As the professional athlete gears up for his debut performance in Miami, his off-field battle with Nike has reached its final destination.

In 2022, the Miami Dolphins WR filed a suit against the $111 billion footwear and apparel giant. According to NFL insider, Dov Kleiman, Beckham accused the brand “of owing him at least $20 million in back salary and guaranteed royalties.” In addition to that, as per the player’s claim, “Nike intentionally suppressed shoe sales so it wouldn’t have to extend its contract with him.” And so, the legal battle started, with the brand suing him back.

But, finally on July 18, Beckham updated his followers that he and his team had won the case. Celebrating the cause, the wide receiver shared a photo of himself (in a black suit) and the team on his Instagram account. He even tagged the brand, aiming a direct dig at them, writing, “JUST DO……RIGHT @nike . I wanna take this moment to thank God first and foremost thank you Heavenly Father. I wanna thank my team for every hour they have spent preparing on this case. I wanna thank the jury for simply doing what’s right in a world full of wrong… my message to whoever needs this is, STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN! JUSTICE WAS SERVED!!!”

Despite this, many social media users claimed the post to be misleading.

Reportedly, the jury at Multnomah County Circuit Court decided on Thursday that neither NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. nor Nike would receive any damages in their ongoing legal battle.

So naturally, Nike called it a win, too! In an official statement, the company said: “With this verdict, all of Mr. Beckham’s claims have been decided against him without any monetary award. The decision confirmed that Nike complied with its commitments. Nike is grateful to the jury and the Court for their careful attention to this case.”

Given all the shenanigans, the internet is divided over the scenario, with many claiming Beckham Jr. received $20 million from Nike, while others claiming this isn’t true! But the question remains: Why exactly led to his two-year long legal battle?

A customization gone wrong!

In 2017, Odell Beckham Jr and Nike signed the richest endorsement deal in NFL history valued at $29 million over five years. As per reports, the contract even had a potential to reach $48 million over eight years if the wide receiver reaches bonus incentives. Beckham Jr, known for his custom gloves and shoes, has been with since 2014. In 2017, he was offered a $47 million offer from Adidas, but chose Nike after they matched the offer. However, the bad blood soon ensued.

In court, Beckham’s lawyer, Chad Colton, claimed Nike only began to dispute Beckham’s customizations when it was time to renew his contract. He argued Nike used these issues as leverage and did not notify Beckham of any violations until then. Colton said the shoe brand suffered no financial harm and that Beckham’s disclosures were public.

After Beckham filed the lawsuit in 2022, Nike retaliated with a countersuit, claiming his custom alterations to their gloves breached the contract and that he improperly revealed confidential details about the deal.

Beckham was seeking $862,000 in unpaid royalties, while Nike was aiming for damages ranging from $7 to $15 million. Ultimately, the jury ruled that Nike had not breached the contract by withholding royalties, and Beckham’s modifications to the gloves were within contractual bounds. Additionally, Nike was found to have waived its right to enforce certain design terms, and Beckham was cleared of any wrongdoing for disclosing the contract terms.

Nike’s lawyer, Maurice Suh, showed evidence that Beckham’s gloves often covered the brand’s logo, and that Nike had repeatedly tried to address these violations. He also presented text messages suggesting Beckham knew he was violating his contract and intentionally leaked contract details. As a result, Beckham’s $20 million additional claims were dismissed and were on appeal. And now, both sides go home with exactly $0.

Having said that, the 31-year-old can finally concentrate on his NFL duties now. The veteran signed a one-year, $3 million deal (worth around $8.25 million with incentives) with the Miami Dolphins earlier this year. However, this is far less than the one-year, $15 million deal he got with his last team, the Baltimore Ravens. Alongside Tyreek Hill and Jayleen Waddle, the trio is expected to turn the franchise’s fortunes around. Notably, the Dolphins were 10-1 against teams without a winning record, and 1-6 against winning teams in 2o23.

Do you think Odell Beckham Jr will further Miami Dolphins’ records? Let us know your predictions in the comments below!