Star wideout A.J. Green isn’t a stranger to trade rumors, having been linked with leaving Cinncinati Bengals for the past couple of years. The same chatter follows him in 2020 as the trade deadline approaches, but Green told reporters on Thursday that he doesn’t want to leave the only franchise he called home in NFL.
During a blowout Week 5 loss to Baltimore Ravens, Green was caught on camera saying that Bengals should trade him if they don’t want to use him properly. He was having a particularly bad game, seeing just 28 snaps and being targeted only once.
According to Green, this plea shouldn’t be taken seriously as it came in the heat of the moment.
“I think we’re all frustrated about the way we’re playing because we’re way better than what we’re putting on tape,” he added. “For me, I just have to channel that frustration and keep playing like I have for the last couple of years.”
When asked about his future with Bengals, Green said that he expects to be in Cincinnati when the trade deadline passes.
“I think we’re building something special here, and I just want to be a part of the team and help us win,” he added.
A.J. Green previously missed the entire 2019 season, dealing with an ankle injury. He got healthy in time for 2020 but has been inefficient so far for a player of his caliber.
In five games he played this season, Green only managed to catch 14 receptions for 119 yards while failing to produce zero touchdowns. But, to his defense, he wasn’t particularly prominent in the head coach Zac Taylor’s game plan, being targeted only 34 times so far.
While Green might stay with Bengals until the end of this season, his long-term future with the franchise is a lot murkier. The 31-year-old player is currently playing on a $17.9 million franchise tag and is set to become a free agent next year. The two sides still haven’t got close to agreeing on a long-term deal, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them go their separate ways after the 2020 NFL season.
