The Dallas Cowboys may be the favorites to land Odell Beckham Jr., but it really sounds like the partnership will be a slow burn in the immediate aspect

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport dropped an interesting bit of information Sunday morning regarding Beckham Jr. and his free agency strategy. According to Rapoport, Beckham Jr. is not working out for teams.

Which, in a nutshell, means he's a lot further away from playing football than most would like.

Beckham Jr. may not even play this year.

From @NFLGameDay: The Odell Beckham Jr sweepstakes are upon us, as he’s visited the #Giants and #Bills already, with the #Cowboys on tap. He plans to leave Dallas, then discuss his future with his family and make a decision by the middle of this week. pic.twitter.com/l1pRUURmav

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 4, 2022

And Cowboys legend Michael Irvin feels the same way.

"He's not just thinking about who's winning the Super Bowl, right now, he's also thinking about what's happening after this year," Irvin said on the latest episode of NFL Network's NFL GameDay Morning. "And then I heard [about him] not working out and I'm saying, 'Well. I don't even know – will he play this year?'

"Because usually, at this stage, I want to hear [stuff like], 'Hey, he looks great on the football field.' and everything. But whenever you're not even wanting to work out, it means you're not ready to play football. So, it makes me kind of hold back a little bit."

It would obviously be great to have Beckham Jr. around for the remainder of the 2022 season and the 2023 postseason, but as the days pass, that seems less and less likely for whichever team ends up utilizing his skillset

And honestly, playing the waiting game with the type of injury Beckham Jr. suffered -along with the fact it's his second ACL tear in the same knee- is probably the smartest route to take, anyway.

"If he plays, he certainly can help this year, " said Irvin. "But getting Odell Beckham even past this year can help the Dallas Cowboys… And hopefully can win Super Bowls moving forward."

The beginning of the Cowboys-Beckham Jr. partnership may end up a slow burn at first, but it's guaranteed to burn bright once it gets going. Plus, the Cowboys have the tools to win now. Beckham Jr. is icing on the cake, essentially.

Which is why this makes all the sense in the world. But at the same time, it adds another layer to the mystery that is OBJ's NFL future.

Featured image via Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports