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Bengals thinking off-season extension for A.J. Green, but not Andy Dalton

By Alex Butler
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton averaged 10 wins per season in his first five years in the NFL. He has averaged 5.6 wins per campaign in his last three seasons. File Photo by John Sommers II/UPI
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton averaged 10 wins per season in his first five years in the NFL. He has averaged 5.6 wins per campaign in his last three seasons. File Photo by John Sommers II/UPI | License Photo

March 28 (UPI) -- The Cincinnati Bengals are considering an off-season extension for A.J. Green, but want quarterback Andy Dalton to re-establish himself before another deal.

Bengals owner Mike Brown made the comments Wednesday after the NFL annual meeting in Phoenix.

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Dalton, 31, has a $16.2 million salary in 2019. He has a $17.7 million cap hit in 2020, the final season of the six-year, $96 million pact he signed in 2014. The three-time Pro Bowl selection passed for career-highs with 4,293 yards and 33 touchdowns in the season before being rewarded with the extension. He made his second Pro Bowl in 2014, passing for 3,398 yards, 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Dalton averaged 10 wins per season in his first five years in the league. He has averaged 5.6 wins in his last three seasons with the franchise.

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"I think it's a good year for him to show like he can," Brown said, according to Bengals.com. "We think he will and after he re-establishes himself we would want to get together with him and see if we can extend him."

"Andy is a good player and he will rebound off of last year. He was hurt. We lost so many other pieces. If he's healthy and we stay healthy otherwise, we expect he'll do well."

Green, 30, has a $15.1 million salary in the final year of his contract with the Bengals. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft made the Pro Bowl in each of his first seven seasons, but has played in 10 games or fewer in two of his last three seasons. Green had 694 yards and six touchdowns on 46 receptions in nine starts last season. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017, bringing in 75 receptions for 1,078 yards and eight scores in 16 starts.

Brown told reporters he believes Green will bounce back from his injury-shortened 2018 campaign and reach an extension with the franchise.

The Bengals gave Green a four-year, $60 million contract extension in 2015.

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"Oh, I think he's a proven commodity, isn't he? The price range for him will be something for him will be something we can figure out, will come together," Brown said of Green, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

"It's true with anyone, if they suddenly get an injury that it reduces them. Well that changes the equation, but I never plan on that happening. I like to think that won't happen. If A.J. is healthy, he's as good a receiver as anybody in the league."

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin told reporters in January that the franchise is "very comfortable" with Dalton.

"We think he's got a number of years left," Tobin said. "We feel like we can win with him. But with any position group, we don't just throw away the whole draft board at a group just because we're satisfied with who we have. We'll evaluate them and look at them and see if there's an opportunity to add a guy at every position."

The Bengals own the No. 11 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

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