Cincinnati Bengals planning to use franchise tag on WR A.J. Green

March 1 (UPI) -- The Cincinnati Bengals are planning to use the franchise tag on former Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green.

League sources told ESPN and the Cincinnati Enquirer on Sunday that the Bengals want Green to remain with the team in 2020, regardless if it's on the tag or a long-term deal.

If the team decides to use the franchise tag on Green, it is expected to be worth about $18.5 million in 2020. Both sides have until July 15 to agree on a long-term contract extension.

Green, 31, has been one of the league's most productive wideouts since being drafted by the Bengals in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Georgia. He ranks fourth in the NFL in receiving yards (8,907) since entering the league and is second in Bengals history in receptions (602), receiving yards and receiving touchdowns (63).

However, Green has battled a string of injuries in recent years. He sat out the entire 2019 season after tearing multiple ligaments in his left ankle in the preseason. Since 2016, he has missed 29 games due to injuries, including 23 of the Bengals' last 24 games.

In his last full season in 2017, Green recorded 75 catches for 1,078 yards and eight touchdowns. He is a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and has been named second-team All-Pro on three occasions.