NFL Free Agency 2020: Best landing spot for top 20 players

After A.J. Green lost his 2019 season to an ankle injury sustained less than an hour into training camp last summer, there was lots of speculation the veteran wide receiver would be traded or would be allowed to walk away as a free agent this spring.

But the Cincinnati Bengals have control over Green, in the fact they can use the franchise tag to keep him, and Green told the team website in December he’s not averse to helping usher in a new era. Cincinnati is expected to select Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick and Green has experience with rookie quarterbacks, having played with Andy Dalton in 2012.

Green hasn’t played since Dec. 2, 2018, when he injured his foot in a loss to the Broncos at Paul Brown Stadium. In eight seasons with the Bengals, Green is second on the franchise’s all-time list with 602 receptions and 8,907 receiving yards — trailing Chad Johnson in both categories — and he is tied with Carl Pickens for second in team history with 63 receiving touchdowns.

He has topped the 1,000-yard mark in receiving six times, most recently in 2017, and has caught at least 10 touchdown passes three different times.

Limited to nine games in 2018, Green had 46 catches in 77 targets for 694 yards and six scores. He set career-highs with 98 receptions and 1,426 yards back in 2013 and he was named to seven consecutive Pro Bowls from 2011-17.

Green will be 32 by the time the season starts and was No. 58 on last year’s NFL Top 100 countdown, his lowest placement since he was No. 77 entering his second season in 2012.