Bengals news: A.J. Green has yet to sign franchise tag

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green still has yet to sign his franchise tag -- which means he doesn't have to report to camp if he doesn't.

Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver A.J. Green is fast approaching the deadline to put pen to paper and sign his franchise tag with the AFC North club.

The deadline, on July 15, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, has brought into perspective several players who have not signed the franchise yet. Among them and the 31-year-old Bengals wideout Green are Dallas Cowboys franchise quarterback Dak Prescott, Jacksonville Jaguars Pro Bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl champion defensive tackle Chris Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett, and Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons.

Deadline to sign franchise players to long-term deals is one month from today.

Here are the franchise players who still haven’t signed their tender and are not required to report to camp: Dak Prescott, A.J. Green, Yannick Ngakoue, Chris Jones, Shaquil Barrett, Justin Simmons.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 15, 2020

Green was sidelined for the entire 2019 Bengals season, tearing ligaments during the offseason training camp. He was later placed on the injured reserve list, missing his ninth season in the NFL. The Bengals had selected the Georgia product with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft and Green was a seven-time Pro Bowl receiver in his first seven years as a pro. He missed out on the selection in 2018 due to a season-ending toe injury sustained in Week 8 and later resurfaced five weeks later.

Green hasn't played for the Bengals since Week 13 of the 2018 season, on Dec. 2.

Despite all the injuries, Green is still an elite threat on offense for the Bengals. And should he return in 2020, he could be the No. 1 passing option for rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, Cincinnati's first-overall selection in April's draft class out of LSU. In his last full season with the Bengals, Green totaled over 1,000 receiving yards along with eight touchdowns.

Last month, Green downplayed the forthcoming contract talks and franchise tag on the table, instead focusing on his physical fitness in preparation for the 2020 season.