Bengals plan to use franchise tag on receiver A.J Green

The Cincinnati Bengals plan to use the franchise tag on wide receiver A.J. Green, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The Bengals will keep him in town via the tag or attempt to sign him to a longer contract, per the report. They have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft and are expected to take LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.

Contract negotiations between the Bengals and Green, as well as the Bengals and running back Joe Mixon, stalled due to ongoing talks around the new collective bargaining agreement, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported late Friday. 

The report also says the franchise tag will be used on Green if a long-term deal isn’t reached by March 10.

Green, 31, completed a four-year, $60 million contract and told the Enquirer in October he wanted stability.

“Give me a long term or just let me go,” he said of the Bengals.

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The veteran did not play in 2019 while rehabbing an ankle injury.

He said he would not participate in OTAs and possibly not in training camp if he ends up with a franchise tag.

Negotiations between the sides regarding a long-term deal eventually stalled toward the end of his four-year, $60 million contract. At the NFL scouting combine last week, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said the team still viewed Green in its future for 2020.

“He’s an important guy, and he’s done it the right way,” Tobin said on Tuesday. “We view him as a Bengal and want him around and want him to be part of the future.”

Green could be an asset for a Cincinnati offense that could feature former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. ESPN’s Mel Kiper presently projects that the Bengals will select the 2019 Heisman winner with the top overall pick in April’s draft. At the scouting combine, Burrow said he wants Green as a passing option if Cincinnati drafts him.

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