Should the Bengals Franchise Tag A.J. Green Next Season?

Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) against the Indianapolis Colts during the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

A.J. Green is scheduled to become a free agent in 2016, but according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com the Bengals are considering the franchise tag as a “fallback,” option in the case that they can’t get a deal done with Green. Is that a good idea for the Bengals or could it hurt their relationship with Green?

A.J. Green faced injury issues this past season. He took a step back with multiple plays that he just stopped on routes. In many ways, he will be playing for a new contract in 2015 and possibly 2016. It was because of that performance, I figure that we may be waiting to see a new contract for Green with him trying to earn every dollar and the Bengals trying to save as much money as possible with next season’s free agency being critical: Andrew Whitworth, Andre Smith, Leon Hall, and Kevin Zeitler are just some of the players who’ll become free agents next season.

If Green doesn’t get a new contract after 2015 and receives the franchise tag, he could choose to holdout of offseason activities. If he has a poor season or more injuries occur, he could want another chance before signing a contract to get the most money possible. It could benefit both parties in the end if you think about it, but, a franchise tag after a solid season, could stress relations between the Bengals and Green’s camp.

Just like most fans, we would love to see A.J. Green in stripes for a long time, but he will need to earn his money by being the superstar the Bengals need him to be; maybe even lead the team past the Wild Card round of the playoffs. The Bengals will look for ways to keep A.J. Green, but his play could price him out of Cincinnati. Let’s just hope the organization proves, like they did this offseason, they are dedicated to improving and keeping their playoff caliber team together.

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