Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas got paid. A.J. Green feels like he's now at the front of the line to join his star contemporaries.
Both Bryant and Thomas signed five-year, $70 million extensions last week, clearly defining the market for superstar wide receivers. Green certainly fits that description, and he's set to enter the final year of his rookie contract. Green spoke optimistically about his future with the Bengals at his former high school on Saturday.
"All that contract stuff doesn't really bother me, because when you put in the body of work I've put in, it speaks for itself," he told Fox10tv.com. "My time is coming."
"It's always what great athletes dream of, to finish with the team that gave them their first opportunity," he went on. "Cincinnati is a great place. We're a great team that can be good for a long time. We got a lot of young talent. It would be great to stay there, I want to stay there. I think they're going to get something done."
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Green is the Bengals' No. 1 priority and both sides are talking, according to team sources. Green had initially indicated he'd like to wait a year before signing an extension, but he's now more open to doing business after the Bryant and Thomas deals.
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