Luckless GIANTS forward Jonathon Patton will spend up to an additional month on the sidelines after he is declared fit to play to help him overcome any mental burdens, coach Leon Cameron says.

The 22-year-old had two right knee reconstructions in the space of 18 months and continues to build his rehabilitation program after experiencing a tough initiation into the AFL system.

The No.1 selection in the 2011 national draft has been restricted to just 29 games since making his debut in round 12, 2012.

Cameron said the GIANTS would not be rushing Patton back into the starting line-up when he is physically ready.

"His predicted return is probably about three or four weeks time but we're going to extend that out, maybe for another three or four weeks," Cameron told Fox Footy on Monday night.

"Physically he's in ripping nick, he's training every week, his contested work is outstanding, he's dealing with peers around him and the awareness now is starting to really come along in his training.

"But psychologically there's no doubt there's going to be a few things we've got to be able to get over in the next month or two before he comes around."

The GIANTS received positive news on Monday, with fellow forward Will Hoskin-Elliott signing a two-year contract extension that will tie him to the club until the end of 2017.

Cameron acknowledged his players – particularly out-of-contract onballers Stephen Coniglio, Dylan Shiel and Adam Treloar – would need to reject bigger financial offers from rival clubs to remain at the GIANTS.

"There's no doubt that a lot of these players are going to have to take unders," Cameron said.

"Where they've started from and the tough times that they've been, you can clearly see that they want to be together.

"They're a really tight group and it’s a unique situation because they've had to train together, they've had to live together and they've had to support each other because most of the list has actually had to move interstate."

When asked if he was prepared to lose "too many" of his players to other clubs, Cameron said: "No, I expect that the guys are making this commitment, that there's a chance here to build something and build something special."