A.J. Green remains the biggest offseason question for the Cincinnati Bengals

What happens with Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green remains the biggest question this offseason in the Queen City.

If the Cincinnati Bengals seem certain to draft quarterback Joe Burrow, what is less certain is what to do with wide receiver A.J. Green. An absolute fan favorite along with quarterback Andy Dalton, Green missed all of 2019 with an injury in what has become a common theme during his career in the Queen City.

There is little doubt that a healthy Green impacts a team in only a positive way. If, and I say IF, the Bengals DO draft Burrow or any other quarterback for that matter, Green at wide receiver makes the transition for a rookie a bit smoother.

The bigger question is at what cost? Green has already expressed his displeasure with the dreaded franchise tag, and if the Bengals use it, he has threatened to sit out OTA’s and potentially training camp. For any rookie quarterback, that potential setback can be devastating in developing needed chemistry and timing.

After a season where Green was only an uncertainty, why in the world does Cincinnati sign up for that again?

Put aside wanting to see him a member of the Cincinnati Bengals until he retires. Green wants to get paid, and reading between the lines prove that. No one blames him. But if he’s already prepared to check out of OTA’s and training camp, what’s the point? He’s a player in his 30’s, injury-prone, and now unhappy.

2-14 has potentially solved who will take the Bengals into the next decade at the quarterback position. In what will be a season or two of rebuilding, does an upset receiver on the other side of 30 and too often injured sound like a good investment?

Cincinnati has an opportunity to get better, potentially much better in a relatively short amount of time. Making Green a part of that plan isn’t necessarily the smart thing to do. Especially if he’s not “all in.”