Nike has released an official statement after a Multnomah County Circuit Court jury reached a verdict in the $20 million lawsuit filed by NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. The lawsuit, initiated by Beckham in 2022, accused Nike of breach of contract, reformation, and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Despite Beckham’s expressions of relief and gratitude on social media, the court ruled in favor of Nike, and no monetary award was granted to the athlete.
In a post on Instagram, Beckham shared his reaction to the verdict, thanking his team, the jury, and expressing his belief in standing up for one’s principles. “JUST DO……RIGHT @nike,” the Miami Dolphins wide receiver wrote. “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 Beckham’s public comments, a Nike representative clarified the outcome of the case in a statement to Complex. “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,” the statement read.
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According to the Portland Business Journal, the jury’s decision came after several hours of deliberation. The court found that Nike did not breach its contract by withholding royalties from Beckham. Additionally, it was determined that Beckham’s customizations of his gloves did not violate the contract terms, Nike waived its right to enforce certain glove design provisions, and Beckham did not breach the contract by disclosing deal terms.
Beckham’s initial lawsuit aimed to hold Nike accountable for what he perceived as a failure to honor their contractual commitments. As he explained in 2022, “I’m taking a stand not just for me, but to set a precedent for all athletes who have dedicated their life to the sport they love—especially those who don’t have the means to stand up for themselves. We are held responsible for fulfilling our obligations under our contracts, but we also have to hold powerful companies like Nike accountable for honoring their commitments, too.”
While Beckham did not provide additional context regarding the verdict on Instagram, he did tweet a reflective message later that evening: “Gods child. Its never in question.”
