The thought of the 49ers acquiring wide receiver A.J. Green was intriguing.
NBC Sports Bay Area's Dalton Johnson wrote having someone like Green on the team would sense, but his injuries would play a huge role in whether or not this would work.
It's looking less likely now, however, at least in the immediate future. The Bengals plan to place a franchise tag on Green, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano reported Sunday. It's well-deserved, as the seven-time Pro Bowler spent the entirety of his career with Cincinnati, and holding on to him feels right.
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Green is fourth in the NFL with 8,907 receiving yards and sixth with 63 receiving touchdowns since entering the league in 2011.
As Johnson wrote, Green has been very productive but could benefit from coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.
Green wants a long extension and the Bengals value him, it just appeared both sides couldn't come to a long-term agreement on the amount he was worth.
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The Bengals are projected to draft 2019 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, who has said he would love to play with Green. Any quarterback would benefit from throwing to a veteran pass-catcher.
Emmanuel Sanders proved that by being a huge asset for the 49ers and their trip to Super Bowl LIV. He will hit free agency but has said he loved his short stint with San Francisco.