Odell Beckham Jr. 'Optimistic' About Signing Giants Contract Extension

The 2018 NFL preseason has kicked off with New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. still searching for a new contract.

He's not sweating it, though. He believes it's only a matter of time before a deal is struck.

"Optimistic? Yeah. I'm optimistic," Beckham said Saturday, via ESPN.com's Jordan Raanan. "I'm confident it will all work itself out. It always does."

The 12th overall pick in 2014, Beckham is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract. He will make $8.5 million under the fifth-year option in 2018, per Spotrac.

As dynamic as he was during his first three seasons, when he piled up 4,122 yards and 35 touchdowns, the 5'11", 200-pound wideout is coming off ankle surgery that limited him to just four games a year ago. And while returning to the field puts him at risk for injury, he called his decision to participate in offseason workouts rather than hold out a "calculated" decision:

"You control your body. We're practicing. These are your teammates and we're all working together. There is no extra pushing and shoving and doing too much. So it's all calculated. And again, I remember not being able to walk at all. To be able to be on the field doing what I love it is truly an amazing feeling."

Of course, while he enjoys being back on the field with his teammates, he is still looking to get paid.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported earlier this offseason that Beckham is seeking $20 million per year in his next contract. That echoes what he said in an UNINTERRUPTED video last year, when he let it be known that he wants to be the highest-paid player in the NFL.

The 25-year-old receiver didn't get into specifics Saturday, but he acknowledged, via Raanan, that he is looking to be the top-paid player at his position:

"Of course. Who doesn't want to get more money? Everybody does. Realistically, you try to be realistic with yourself. You see what happened over the offseason. Can't really worry about everybody else. Just let them figure it out, and whenever it happens it will happen."

Per Spotrac, Pittsburgh Steelers star Antonio Brown is the highest-paid receiver in football, making $17 million in 2018.

Beckham was the subject of trade rumors earlier this offseason, in part because of his off-the-field controversies. He found himself in headlines earlier this offseason after a suspicious video from a hotel room surfaced.

For now, though, Beckham remains a Giant and isn't ready to set a hard deadline on extension talks.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Beckham said, via Raanan.