Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that A.J. Green is not expected to return to the Bengals until after the Oct. 29 trade deadline at the earliest. At that point, the Bengals will assess his progress before making a determination.
A source tells Schefter that Green is coming along well but the Bengals want to ensure that he’s completely recovered before he returns. According to Schefter, Green is progressing nicely in his return from an ankle injury.
Green has been a popular name in trade rumors the past few weeks. Although, Bengals HC Zac Taylor has said: “I’ve heard the speculation. We are not trading that guy.”
Last week, Green said Friday that he hasn’t heard any of the trade speculation that has been going around in recent months and reiterated that he wants to stay in Cincinnati.
“I’d just like to stay here. They value me. Nobody is going to value you as much as the place you got drafted at. It’s home,” Green said, per Jay Morrison.
Regarding how important the value of his next deal will be during negotiations, Green said “it’s not about the money.”
“It’s not about the money,” Green said, per Ben Baby. “Got enough money. I just want to make sure to I’m healthy and then everything else will take care of itself.”
Green has yet to appear in an NFL game this year, due to an ankle injury he suffered during training camp. The good news is that he was able to return to practice Thursday on a limited basis.
Green, 31, is a former first-round pick of the Bengals back in 2011. He’s entering the final year of his five-year, $70.176 million contract that included $26.75 million guaranteed and set to make a base salary $11.97 million in 2019.
Green landed on injured reserve last season after undergoing surgery for torn ligaments in his toe. Green also injured his ankle early during training camp and has yet to play this season.
In 2018, Green appeared nine games for the Bengals and caught 46 passes for 694 yards receiving and six touchdowns.
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