A.J. Green has made it clear that he does not want to be franchise-tagged by the Bengals in 2020, but he is open to working out a new long-term deal. However, Green and the Bengals are not close in extension talks, sources tell Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).
Green hasn’t played a single snap this year after suffering ankle damage during the preseason, and when he does return in Week 10 following Cincinnati’s bye, he’ll be catching passes from someone other than Andy Dalton. Fourth-round rookie Ryan Finley is taking over at quarterback for the Bengals, giving Green a different signal-caller as he enters a stretch of games that will strongly affect his market value next spring.
Green became the NFL’s highest-paid receiver in 2015 after inking a four-year, $60MM extension, but his $15MM average annual value now ranks 11th at the position. The former No. 4 overall selection will be 32 years old when the 2020 campaign gets underway, and Green’s recent injury history — at least six missed games in 2016, 2018, and 2019 — will certainly factor into his asking price, but he should still be expected to command a lucrative multi-year deal.
If the Bengals do franchise Green, they’ll be locking in a fully guaranteed one-year salary in the $18.5MM range. If Green remains adamant about not accepting the tag, he could potentially hold out next spring and summer, creating a dicey situation between a franchise icon and a Cincinnati organization currently struggling through yet another dismal season.
This situation is only gonna get uglier over time. The Bengals should have just traded him when they had the chance
I think we should trade the whole team to Mexico City. Get them as far away from Cincy as possible. We could get lifetime supply of salsa … some thing with some bite to it … unlike Bengals
Tough deal here. The Bengals clearly want to do right by Green who has been a great player for the franchise but his ability to remain productive is in doubt as he winds down his career. The situation is somewhat similar to what the Cowboys and Tony Romo wrestled with.
Why WOULD they be close? They’re in the middle of a season and he hasn’t played a snap yet. It’ll get done, for better or worse, in the off-season.
Killing my fantasy team. I rolled the dice….
I say give him a 3-4 year deal
Not sure why they didn’t just trade him. What was the market for him?
5 years 70M, 41M guaranteed. Gets cut in year 4 or 5.