Franchise tag window opens today, throwing A.J. Green in the spotlight

Despite the standoff over a new CBA, the window to franchise tag players has indeed opened.

And now it’s all eyes on the Cincinnati Bengals and A.J. Green.

Other teams have tag decisions to make of course. But the Bengals and Green might be one of the most interesting. Zac Taylor and anyone else from the team given a platform has stressed Green will be back next year, meaning the tag is a possibility.

Green himself, despite missing all of last year, has said he wouldn’t like the tag — but he’d play under it.

Said tag will check in at about $8.4 million in 2020 for a wideout like Green. The Bengals have about $47.6 million in cap space right now, plus can clear about $17 million by dumping Andy Dalton’s contract, for starters.

The Bengals have between now and March 12 to work something out before the tag window closes.

Franchise tag window WILL open tomorrow as scheduled and run for a week. The rules set out in the CBA will apply — teams can use franchise and transition tags — while the players consider their ratification vote. Vote expected to be done in less than 2 weeks.

— Judy Battista (@judybattista) February 26, 2020

The window for NFL teams to apply a franchise or transition tag opens today and runs until March 12.

Some of the candidates for a tag include: Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, Bengals WR A.J. Green, Jags DE Yannick Ngakoue, Broncos S Justin Simmons and Chargers TE Hunter Henry.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 27, 2020