A.J. Green signs franchise tag with Beng

[seestyle]

star receiver A.J. Green has signed his franchise tag and will report to training camp on time alongside his Cincinnati teammates, the . The Bengals had until 4 Chris Webber Jersey p.m. ET on July 15 to sign Green to a long-term extension, but that deadline came to pa s, which means Green was forced to either play in 2020 on the tag or sit out. With this signing of the tag, Green will earn $18 million in 2020, making him the fourth-highest paid receiver in the on an average annual basis."From the day that he joined our organization nine years ago, A.J. Green has been an outstanding player and a cla s act," Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn said in a statement attached to this announcement. "We are pleased that he will be part of the team this year, starting with the first practice. By signing, A.J. puts himself and the team in the best position to have a great season together, and we look forward to the opportunity at the end of Willie Cauley-Stein Jersey the season to discu s keeping him here long-term. He has been an integral part of our team, and we expect this year that he will be the same impact player he has always been."The soon-to-be 32-year-old receiver mi sed all of last season due to injury, but has shown over the course of his career that he's among one of the best pa s-catchers in the NFL when healthy. The last time we saw Green on the field was back in 2018, when he caught 46 pa ses for 694 yards and six touchdowns over a nine-game stretch. He's also arguably the greatest wide receiver in Bengals Peja Stojakovic Jersey history, ranking second in all-time in team history in career receptions Jahmi'us Ramsey Jersey (602) and receiving yards (8907). Green is also tied for second all-time in Bengals history in receiving touchdowns (63). Green will look to land in the No. 1 spot all-time, as this franchise tag doesn't sound like a one-year run. He told that the plan is to "play another four years and I hope to retire as a Bengal.""A.J. is one of the best receivers in the NFL," said Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. "He's an important part of our plans, and we're thrilled to have him in the fold from Day 1. We're looking forward to the impact of his talent and leadership on our offense this season." Green's presence Vlade Divac Jersey will be extremely important for Cincinnati in 2020 as it begins the era after selecting the LSU quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick earlier this offseason. Having a talented weapon like Green in the fold should do wonders for his development. Green should also be a valuable mentor to the likes of rookie receiver , who was selected in the second round out of Clemson.