A.J. Green just drew a line in the sand.
The Bengals wide receiver is set to become a free agent after this season, casting doubt over his future in Cincinnati. While it remains to be seen whether the Bengals will look to re-sign Green, who has spent his entire eight-year career with the organization since being drafted fourth overall in 2011, the 31-year-old made it clear Wednesday he has no interest in receiving a one-year franchise tag.
“I’m not into a one-year,” Green said, per ESPN.com. “Give me a long-term (contract) or just let me go.”
Green has yet to play this season because of an ankle injury he suffered during the first practice of the preseason. The Bengals opted not to trade him before Tuesday’s deadline, though, perhaps hoping they’ll be able to keep the seven-time Pro Bowl pick in Cincinnati for 2020 and potentially beyond.
The question is whether the Bengals will open up the checkbook for Green, who is in the final year of a four-year, $60 million contract. He has battled multiple injuries over the past few seasons, forcing him to miss 21 games (and counting) since the beginning of 2016.
Although Green, who participated in team drills Wednesday for the first time since hurting his ankle in July, is hoping to avoid a franchise tag this offseason, he clarified that he won’t hold out should the Bengals go down that route. He also downplayed the trade rumors that consistently popped up ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
“I’m not going to be a guy that says, ‘Oh I want to get traded’ and then go to a situation where I’m not happy,” Green said, per ESPN.com. “Like, I’m genuinely happy here. We might not win, but I’m happy here. But at the end of the day, this is a business. I know my worth and I know what I bring to this team.”
The Bengals (0-8) still are searching for their first win of the season. They have a bye this week before returning to action against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9, at which point rookie Ryan Finley will replace Andy Dalton as the team’s starting quarterback.
