A.J. Green Returns With 1,200+ Yards
A.J. Green’s injury history makes this difficult to feel confident in; the former All-Pro has missed 29 games in the past four seasons, and even including his full 16-game season in 2017, his age doesn’t make a return to health a guarantee in any way. However, prior to that, the former Georgia Bulldog had spent the first five years of his career on pace for staggering numbers; 6,171 yards and 45 touchdowns in any five-year span is impressive, but even more so in your first five.
After missing the entirety of the 2019 season with an ankle injury that could never seem to heal, Green has not played a game in almost 19 months. This also means he has spent that time rehabbing from his slew of injuries in recent years, and with the lack of summer OTAs and team activities due to COVID-19, he has also been able to focus his summer on getting healthy.
In May, Green was one of the first players to speak after the team drafted Burrow, telling Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, “I told him wherever he is, we’ll come to him. I don’t know where, when, how. It’s all who can fly where and when. He’s the quarterback. He makes his location and we have to get there.”
Green has spent the entirety of the his NFL career with Cincinnati, and to be frank, the team doesn’t deserve the loyalty he has given them so freely. Even in recent talks about his contract, he has spoken about wanting to retire in Cincinnati, a shocking statement given the state of the team. While he and Dalton were drafted the same year and developed together, the 31-year old will now be adapting to the top quarterback talent in the draft.
Given Burrow’s reputation as a cerebral passer who leans more on accurate reads over pure arm strength, a route runner of Green’s caliber will blend seamlessly into the new offensive regime. Green now also will see far fewer double teams than in past seasons; with the massive development of Tyler Boyd and the addition of rookie Tee Higgins, a healthy Green will now have more open space than he has had his entire career.
