Wide receiver A.J. Green signed his one-year franchise tag with the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday, officially ending months of negotiation and speculation.
Green, a 10th-year player, signed the $18.2 million franchise-tag tender for the 2020 season and will report to training camp, which is set to start July 28 in Cincinnati. After the Bengals used the tag on Green in March, it went unsigned as Green worked toward a potential long-term deal before Wednesday's deadline.
In a conference call with local reporters Friday, Green said he and the Bengals had open communication throughout the process and arrived at a conclusion that makes sense for both sides.
"It's best for me just to go out there and play on this franchise tag and then we revisit this after the season," Green said.
Green did not play a snap in 2019 after he tore multiple ankle ligaments during the first practice of the preseason. He has missed 23 of the team's past 24 games because of injury and 29 overall since the start of the 2016 season.
A seven-time Pro Bowler, Green said he understands the difficulty of getting a long-term deal given his injury situation. Green said he has been running routes since February and isn't experiencing any issues with the ankle or the toe injury that forced him to go on injured reserve in 2018.
In a statement announcing the move, Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn said Green has been "an outstanding player and class act" since Cincinnati selected him with the fourth overall pick of the 2011 NFL draft. Blackburn said Friday's move puts him and the team in the best position to have a strong 2020 season.
"We look forward to the opportunity at the end of the season to discuss keeping him here long term," Blackburn said. "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."
Green, who turns 32 on July 31, ranks fourth in the NFL with 8,907 receiving yards since entering the league in 2011. He is second in franchise history in receiving yards and total receptions (602) and third in receiving touchdowns (63).
Green has averaged 14.8 yards per catch over his nine seasons with the Bengals.
For the first time in his career, Green will have a new starting quarterback. Andy Dalton, who played with Green for nine seasons, was released this offseason after the Bengals drafted former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first overall pick. Green said he hasn't met Burrow yet but knows what he can bring to the team, even as a rookie.
"I know the type of player he is, and I know he's a dog," Green said. "I know he's a dog for a fact. So I'm excited to play with him. I just can't wait to get out there."
Throughout the negotiations between Blackburn and Ben Dogra, Green's longtime agent, Green hinted at an uncertain future in Cincinnati after the 2020 season. However, despite the fact the franchise has declined to give him a long-term deal in the past two offseasons, Green said he still envisions retiring with the team that drafted him.
"I always show loyalty to the people who gave me a chance from the get-go, and Cincinnati gave me that chance," Green said. "Coming into Year 10 and two injuries and still getting franchise-tagged is kind of crazy. I just hope I can stay healthy and get back to the old A.J. and keep building this thing."