Bengals “certainly plan” to have A.J. Green next season

[Who Dey]

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The Bengals played the entire 2019 season without A.J. Green and he doesn’t have a contract for the 2020 season, but head coach Zac Taylor isn’t writing him out of the team’s plans.

Taylor spoke to the media from the Senior Bowl on Tuesday and addressed the team’s thoughts about bringing Green back for a 10th season with the team. Taylor made it clear that the team expects to have him on hand when players get back to work.

“Oh, absolutely. He’s a big priority for us,” Taylor said, via the team’s website. “Things will have to work out over the course of the spring, but we certainly plan on A.J. being in the fold next year. He’s back healthy and we know that’s a huge weapon that will certainly benefit us.”

The Bengals can use the franchise tag to keep Green from hitting the market unfettered and buy themselves more time to strike a longer deal. Green said he has “no problem” with the team going that route, but hopes for a longer commitment. We’ll see if Taylor’s strong feelings about the veteran’s return set the stage for such an agreement.