Odell Beckham Jr. is prepared to wait for what he wants.
The New York Giants wide receiver won’t play another down in the NFL without a contract extension, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday during his appearance on “Good Morning Football.”
Beckham is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, and the option under which he’d play in 2018 would pay him $8.5 million. He wants a massive new contract, reportedly worth around $20 million per season, reflecting his status as one of the NFL’s premier pass catchers.
However, he also is returning from a serious ankle injury that limited him to just four games in 2017. The Giants and other teams interested in his services will want to assess his physical condition fully before committing such resources to one player.
Giants co-owner John Mara on Sunday refused to rule out trading Beckham or withholding an extension in the aftermath of a risque video that went viral this month.
“I can’t answer that one way or the other,” Mara said, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “We’re certainly not shopping him. Again, when you’re coming off a season when you’re 3-13 and played as poorly as we played, I wouldn’t say that anyone is untouchable.”
Given that reports of Beckham’s holdout threat emerged hours after Mara’s comments, the chances of he and the Giants agreeing to contract terms in the near future appear slim, at best.
