Bengals Reportedly Plan to Use Franchise Tag on AJ Green
By Michael Luciano
Zac Taylor's Cincinnati Bengals might have gone 2-14 last season, but there are plenty of players with Pro Bowl potential on this roster, wide receiver AJ Green chief among them.
The perennially elite wideout was scheduled to test free agency this offseason, but the latest reports suggest the Bengals front office will use the franchise tag on Green, which will prevent him from hitting the open market.
The Bengals currently plan to franchise tag wide receiver A.J. Green, as they want him in Cincinnati in 2020 either through the tag or a longer deal, sources told @DanGrazianoESPN and me. A good selling point for the team's No. 1 pick.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 1, 2020
Green has made seven Pro Bowls in his nine-year career as a Bengal, and the only two seasons he did not make the Pro Bowl were the last two years, in which he played just nine games total.
Having a vertical downfield threat with the skill to pluck balls out of the air in contested catch situations like Green is going to be a major blessing for projected No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow in his first season as a Bengal.
Zac Taylor on AJ Green:
— Elite Andy Dalton (@EvilAndyDalton) February 25, 2020
"We know he's going to be a Bengal come September." #WHODEY pic.twitter.com/Ks8brYCnaw
Across eight seasons in Cincinnati, Green made seven Pro Bowls while hauling in 602 receptions and 63 touchdowns. He's surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in all but two of his seasons as a pro.
Green would have been a perfect addition to several contending teams, but the former Georgia Bulldog appears destined to continue his career in southern Ohio.