A.J. Green's fifth-year option will cost $10.176 million

Circle May 3, 2014 on your calendar.

That's the date that Cincinnati Bengals must make a decision on whether or not they want to trigger the fifth-year option on A.J. Green's contract -- starting with the 2011 NFL draft, all first-round rookies have a fifth-year option written into their contracts.

The question is cost.

A player that was drafted as a top-ten pick will receive the amount that it would cost the transition tag. So if and when the Bengals trigger A.J. Green's fifth-year option, it will cost $10.176 million -- all of it guaranteed.

Green is set to earn $3.1 million in base salary with a $6.3 million hit against the team's cap in 2014.

There is a belief that Cincinnati will begin talks for a long-term deal now that Green is entering his fourth season.

However, Green isn't any rush, telling reporters on the Monday after Cincinnati's postseason departure, "I'll just play it by ear. My body of work speaks for itself. Whatever they want." Green finished the season with a career-high 98 receptions and 1,426 yards receiving, falling 16 yards shy of breaking Cincinnati's single-season record.