Giants owner: Beckham extension 'not our No. 1 priority right now'

Odell Beckham Jr. may have to be patient as he awaits his inevitable payday.

While his brief absence from offseason activities was reported to have been related to his desire for a contract extension - a rumor Beckham later denied - the New York Giants don't appear to be in much of a hurry.

Owner John Mara explained Thursday that, as much as the team would like to extend its star playmaker at some point, it's not currently at the top of the Giants' to-do list.

"There's always a chance, but it's not our No. 1 priority right now," Mara told Neil Best of Newsday. "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."

Beckham, already among the NFL's elite players just three seasons into his NFL career, has all the leverage he needs to become the highest-paid receiver in history.

But since the recently exercised fifth-year contract option will keep him under team control through the 2018 campaign, the Giants can afford to put off the commitment for at least another season.

In the most likely scenario, as is the case with most players still on their rookie deals, the two sides would ramp up negotiations in advance of Beckham's contract year.

Beckham's earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods since joining the Giants as a first-round pick in 2014, recording a total of 288 receptions, 4,122 yards, and 35 touchdowns across 43 regular-season games.

- With h/t to CBS Sports