Cincinnati Bengals Xtra: Wide receiver A.J. Green won’t be asking for new money in 2018

Cincinnati Enquirer

Show Caption Hide Caption Cincinnati Bengals 2018 mini camp wrap up Enquirer beat writers Paul Dehner Jr. and Jim Owczarski break down their top observations from Cincinnati Bengals mini camp.

Bengals Xtra is a weekly column from beat writers Paul Dehner Jr. and Jim Owczarski diving into issues off the field with the club.

When it comes to getting paid in the National Football League, many times it’s about “who’s next” as opposed to “who’s best” regarding the highest paid players per position.

Every year a new player signs a new deal and it pushes the newest contract to the top of the list of the average annual value.

Just look at the offseason of 2015, regarding the wide receiver position:

July

Cowboys extend Dez Bryant for five years, $70 million ($14 annually).

for five years, $70 million ($14 annually). Broncos extend Demaryius Thomas for five years, $70 million ($14 annually).

August

Falcons extend Julio Jones for five years, $71.25 million ($14.25 annually).

September

Upon signing, Green became the highest paid wide receiver in football.

He held that distinction until Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown to the top with a $68 million extension over four years in February, 2017 ($17 annually), setting a new benchmark.

Now, Brown is a four-time All-Pro, a six-time Pro Bowler, has led the league in receptions and yards twice and remains a viable threat as a punt returner. But since Brown set a new ceiling, less accomplished receivers such as Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans ($16.5 annually), Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins ($16.2), Kansas City’s Sammy Watkins ($16) and Cleveland’s Jarvis Landry ($15.1) have also surpassed Green on the highest paid list.

Even Green Bay’s Davante Adams ($14.5) has scooted past Julio Jones – leading the Falcons’ top receiver to skip offseason work with his team in the search of a new contract. It makes sense, as Jones is 29 and signed through 2020. It’s his last shot to get some real money, and he is a “better” player than that entire list of players.

And in New York, Odell Beckham Jr. is doing the contract dance with the Giants as he is set to play under his $8.49 million fifth-year option.

Meanwhile, there’s Green, watching it all from afar and frankly paying it no mind.

“I think the biggest thing for me, I’m always comfortable with stuff I’m doing – I signed a deal and I’m comfortable with the deal and I just live with it,” he told The Enquirer. “After that’s up, we go back to the board. I don’t really get caught up in what’s the money like because I signed my deal and it was the highest paid at that point. It’s going to always go up. So you can’t keep up with that.”

He’ll turn 30 years old just after the start of training camp and Green – just like he did in 2014 and the summer of 2015 – is more than happy to quietly go about his business and worry about his next contract when that time comes. And not a second before.

“For me, I just keep everything simple,” he said. “I really don’t try to get into all that other stuff. At the end of the day I just want to play football. I got my contract. I’m set for life. Now I can just go out there and play.”

Green, a seven-time Pro Bowler, still has much to accomplish individually. He’s never caught 100 passes. He’s never been an All-Pro. He’s never led the league in any receiving category. So for him, 2018 is about rebounding from an uneven 2017 and an injury-shortened 2016 by being healthy and focused heading into his eighth training camp.

“I feel great,” he said. “These last two days (of minicamp) is the best my body’s felt in a long time. I’ve got another six years in me I feel like. A long time. I’ll be ready.

“I know the work I put in every summer and I can live with the results.”

Green's desire to play four years behind the expiration of his deal in 2019, nor the escalation of money at his position around the league, won’t propel him to the second level of Paul Brown Stadium to ask owner and president Mike Brown for a restructured contract.

“Nah,” he said with a smile. “At the end of the day he took care of me. I’m still under contract for the next two years and we’ll go from there.”