NewsSports

Will Sunday be A.J. Green’s last in Cincinnati?

Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens could be A.J. Green’s 127th and final regular-season game in a Bengals uniform.

Kevin Durant is A.J. Green’s favorite active basketball player. The two are good friends. Durant left Oklahoma City in pursuit of a ring. Two titles later, the NBA superstar is now on his third NBA team. When Durant bolted for Brooklyn, he sent Green a brand new Nets jersey. Green might be returning the favor in the not so distant future.

This Sunday could be Green’s 127th and final regular-season game in a Bengals uniform. The one-year franchise tag tender Green signed in July is set to expire at the end of the season. He is headed toward unrestricted free agency and is yearning for a multi-year deal.

More:Bengals Xtra: The secret behind the Bengals' Carl Lawson's rise at defensive end

“Anything is possible. It’s just another opportunity for me. I’m not really thinking about my last game. I’m at a point in my career where I played for a long time. I just want to go out there and put my best foot forward,” Green said on Thursday. “Whatever happens after the season is already in God’s plans. I’m not really worried about what’s going to happen.”

Coming off a nagging toe injury in 2018 and an ankle injury that cost him all of 2019, Green’s had a subpar season by his standards.

A.J. Green enters Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens  third on the Bengals in targets (98), catches (47) and receiving yards (523).

He’s turned into the team’s third option on the outside. He ranks third on the Bengals in targets (98), catches (47) and receiving yards (523) entering the season finale. He’s destined to end the year with the fewest amount of catches, receiving yards and touchdown receptions that he’s had in any season in which he’s played at least 10 games.

Green ranks second in franchise history in most major receiving categories. The 32-year-old enters Sunday on the heels of former Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson’s all-time touchdown reception record. He’s compiled 649 catches for 9,430 receiving yards and 65 touchdown receptions all with the Bengals.

A.J. Green is one touchdown pass away from tying Chad Johnson's team record. Green has 649 catches for 9,430 receiving yards and 65 touchdown receptions.

The veteran is inching closer to Bengals franchise records every game and will certainly have a good opportunity to etch his name atop the record books if he signs another multi-year extension in Cincinnati. But Green’s indicated that winning is more important to him at this juncture of his career.

“For me, it’s just continuing to want to win, enjoy football and go out there and play,” Green said. “I’m blessed. I can’t believe how fast it went by. This is my 10th season and it’s been a blessing, definitely. These last two years I’ve been hurt but I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything. They’ve made me a better person, a better football player and a better man.”


Source link

Show More

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button