Long-Term Extension For Odell Beckham Not Giants’ No. 1 Priority Right Now

Giants president John Mara mentioned in an interview with Mike Francesa earlier in the week that while there’s a chance they could sign WR Odell Beckham to a long-term extension, “it’s not our No. 1 priority right now.”

“There’s always a chance, but it’s not our No. 1 priority right now,” Mara said, via Neil Best of Newsday.com. “But we do want to get it done. We have some time to get it done. But I can’t give you a timetable on that.”

Mara said he spoke with Beckham last month and had “a very pleasant meeting” with him.

“I just wanted to catch up with him,” Mara said, “find out what he’d been up to and just talk to him about the process going forward, a little bit about his need to control his emotions and his need to continue to grow and mature, and he’s very receptive to that.

“He knows. He’s a smart young man and he wants to be the best. He wants to win a Super Bowl. I wish we had a dozen more like him.

“He’s 24 and he’s had so much success and is so popular and has so many people pulling at him. It’s going to be a bumpy road from time to time, but I think in the long run he’s going to be fine.”

Beckham is clearly in line for a massive contract extension at some point in the next year or so, as he’s already one of, in not, the best receivers in the NFL.

Beckham, 24, was taken with the No. 12 overall pick by the Giants back in 2014. He’s currently in the final year of his four-year, $10,406,198 contract and stands to make a base salary of $1,839,02 for the 2017 season.

The fifth-year option will run the Giants $8,459,000, but is guaranteed only for injury and won’t prevent them from working on a long-term extension over the next year.

In 2016, Beckham appeared in all 16 games for the Giants and caught 101 passes for 1,367 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 12 receiver out of 115 qualifying players.

We’ll have more regarding a new deal for Beckham as the news is available.