A.J. Green Signs Franchise Tender

Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green has signed his franchise tender, the team announced. With that, the soon-to-be 32-year-old will report to training camp on-time later this month.

It seemed unlikely that the two sides would agree to a long-term deal prior to Wednesday’s deadline given Green’s age and his recent injury history. But Cincinnati was not about to let him walk in free agency this year, so the club slapped the seven-time Pro Bowler with the franchise tag.

Green had previously expressed that he was not a big fan of the tag, but he also said he would not hold out if he did not get the multi-year pact that he was seeking. However, the fact that he signed the tender is still notable. Prior to signing it, he could have skipped training camp and the preseason and still earned his full salary, and there was recent speculation that the Bengals might consider rescinding the tag because of how much it costs (roughly $18MM) and the current financial climate. Considering Green’s abilities and the fact that the team will have rookie QB Joe Burrow under center, rescinding the tag never felt like a real possibility, but now both sides know they will be together from training camp forward.

Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic says the Bengals still want to sign Green long-term (Twitter link). While they of course cannot negotiate again until after the 2020 campaign, Dehner expects the team to make a “hard push” for a new deal at season’s end if Green looks anything like his old self.

And the interest, apparently, is mutual. Green said he wants to play for another four seasons and retire as a Bengal (Twitter link via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com). If he does, Green will surpass Chad Johnson to become the team’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving TDs. He is currently trailing Johnson in all three categories, but not by much.