Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green has been one of the best in the business this season, so his injury today has us on the edge of our seats.
A.J. Green has averaged 107.1 yards per game this season, proving the early season predictions about a big year without Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu correct. Andy Dalton’s trusted target, Green eases the pressure off of newcomers Brandon LaFell and Tyler Boyd.
Unfortunately, things don’t look great for the health of the Cincinnati Bengals’ biggest weapon:
INJURY UPDATE: Green reported with right hamstring injury. Return is questionable. #BUFVsCIN
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 20, 2016
In Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, Green was carted off with a right hamstring injury and the Bengals have stated that he is questionable to return. What makes the injury more concerning is the fact that Green went down on a non-contact play.
There’s no understating Green’s importance to the Bengals offense. Over 100 receiving yards per game is not easy to replace. Green has been on fire in the last four weeks, soaking up catches for a 3-5-1 team that is underperforming on division-leading expectations.
The Bengals are ninth in the NFL in net yards per pass attempt but just 22nd in scoring, and that split will become even wider if Green is forced to miss time. We can only hope his hamstring is OK, and while he was carted off, it is a positive sign that he is only listed questionable to return.
After today’s game against the Buffalo Bills, the Bengals have four division opponents in their final six games. This is a critical stretch for a Bengals team that is third in the AFC North, especially since their non-division opponents are the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans. Green is one of the Bengals most important players, so they certainly cannot afford to lose him at an important time in the schedule.
Update – 1:46 p.m. ET
INJURY UPDATE: A.J. Green has been ruled out for the game. #BUFvsCIN
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 20, 2016
As expected after needing the cart to come off, A.J. Green is out for the rest of Week 11. We’ll keep you updated as to what his outlook is beyond Sunday.
Update – 4:44 p.m. ET
Source: #Bengals WR AJ Green has a tear in his hamstring. MRI is coming, but it's believed to be significant. Not good.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 20, 2016
It looks like quite bad news for Green. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that it’s a tear in his hamstring and calls it “significant.” If that holds true, he’s surely done for the year and who knows how long after.