The fans of the Cincinnati Bengals have been awaiting the return of A.J. Green but his return doesn't appear to be imminent just yet. According to Adam Schefter, Green is expected to be out until after the trade deadline.

Green has missed the first six weeks of the season with an ankle injury that he sustained in the early parts of training camp. While he's been sidelined, Cincinnati has gotten off to a woeful 0-6 start under rookie head coach Zac Taylor.

When he suffered the injury, the belief was that the veteran wideout would miss around a month of action. Instead, the team is now taking a cautious approach with Green as they watch their season fall to the wayside.

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With Green in the final year of his current contract, his future with the Bengals continues to be in doubt. At this point, it's worth asking if Green is going to play in any capacity this season as he prepares himself for free agency.

In addition, the annual rumors of Green being traded began to run its course throughout the NFL. Despite the obvious interest from other teams, Taylor and the front office have reiterated that they are not trading their seven-time Pro Bowl receiver.

With that being said, announcing that Green won't return until after the deadline could be part of a ploy orchestrated by the Bengals. They don't want to move on from their coveted wide receiver and holding him out until the deadline could assure that they have a better chance of keeping him beyond the 2019 season.