Longtime Bengals WR AJ Green Is Retiring From The NFL, And Let's Not Forget How Much Of A Baller He Was

Matt Fitzgerald2/07/2023 1:20 AM

For whatever reason, the Cincinnati Bengals seem to have a knack for drafting wide receivers. Having said that, I recall being baffled by their decision to draft A.J. Green fourth overall in 2011 when it sure felt like Julio Jones — foot injury medical red flag notwithstanding — was the better pick.

Those two were always compared even as far back as high school as 5-star recruits. Julio went to Bama; AJ went to Georgia. It was probably the most fun, most heated, "Who's WR1 in this draft class?" debate of my lifetime. And even though Jones wound up with the better career overall, Green's late run of bad injury luck shouldn't put any less shine on almost a decade of pure dominance.

PS Adriel Jeremiah Green is still the most fun name to say out loud in the English language. It's science. Anyway, the dude started off with seven 1,000-yard receiving campaigns and had Andy Dalton as his QB the entire time, save for a brief cameo by AJ McCarron.

Not to shoot down the Red Rifle (Dalton) with a string of strays, but if you complete below 60% of your targets to A.J. Green in your first four seasons, you might be part of the problem.

Thing is, whenever the playoffs rolled around, Cincinnati was always one-and-done. In those first seven years from 2011 to 2018 — he played only 10 games in 2016 and nine games in 2018 due to injury — Green averaged 80.2 yards per game despite hauling in 58.9% of his targets. As a postseason QB, Dalton logged a passer rating of 57.8. YIKES. By the way, that 80.2 YPG clip would rank sixth in NFL history. Just ahead of Cooper Kupp, DeAndre Hopkins, Torry Holt, Tyreek Hill, Odell Beckham Jr. and Marvin Harrison respectively.

With a wiry 6-foot-4 frame, it always blew me away how tough and strong Green was over the middle of the field and at the catch point. He was as sure-handed as you could be. Freakish ball skills. When you blended those traits with his height and athleticism, it was almost unfair. For being a taller but lankier wide receiver, he had crazy agility, vision in the open field and could cut on a dime. Honestly looked like a running back at times when he was YACing it up. That translated to excellent route-running and the ability to score really on any type of play.

"Hall of Fame" might be a little rich for some considering how Green's career sort of fizzled out. I can't blame him. As his time in Cincinnati neared an end, the Bengals were going through a major transition, overhaul of their culture and football operation and Green was battling through rehab and struggled to stay on the field, missing all of 2019 with an ankle injury. That last year he had was Joe Burrow's rookie season of 2020. By then, Green seemed over the whole situation for the most part.

Didn't help that Joe Brrr blew his knee out in the above game, or that another core veteran on Green's prime teams, Carlos Dunlap, was publicly demanding a trade. I don't think there were any hard feelings but the timing of everything just kinda sucked. I wish Green could've stayed healthy enough to share at least one proper, good season with Joey B. Cincinnati has straight-up crushed acquiring young talent at Green's position, however, highlighted obviously of late by Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Although he finished his career in Arizona with a decent 2021 to help the Cardinals to the playoffs and saw minimal action this past year, Green will always be a Bengal. Second in franchise history for receptions, receiving yards and receiving TDs to Chad Johnson. Hell yeah.

Salute to AJ Green. Adriel Jeremiah Green. Never not going to be a cool name. As he said, not a many of many words, but damn, I'll say it for you AJ: You were a stone-cold killer out there on the gridiron and by all accounts a 100% class act outside the lines. Enjoy retirement and thank you for doing all you possibly could to build the Bengals into a winner.

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