A.J. Green to Demaryius Thomas: “Thank You”

Mere days after announcing he was content to play out the final year of his rookie contract, A.J. Green has been whistling a different tune since learning that Demaryius Thomas had reached an agreement with the Denver Broncos worth $70 million over five years.

During a press conference in Denver on Friday, Thomas revealed that Green was among the first people to contact him after finalizing the deal. With the call came the simplest of messages: “thank you.”

Green likely realises that Thomas’ and Dez Bryant’s contract – worth the exact same amount over the same number of years – will serve as natural starting points for negotiation between himself and the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2016 offseason.

Although remaining adamant that money was not his priority in comments made several days ago, Green was nonetheless selective with his words. He made sure to note that he expects a deal to get done with minimal hassle.

Green is the finest player on Cincy’s offense, and perhaps the whole team. The Bengals looked lost without him in their lone playoff appearance last season, and with many believing the young superstar has yet to even hit his prime, a historically monstrous deal could be in the works next year for one of the league’s most coveted commodities.