2 min read • August 29, 2020
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The Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green signed his franchise tender, sans long term contract extension, locking in a guarantee of about $18M for the upcoming season. The move was certainly not without risk as Green has missed 23 of the last 24 team games with a balky ankle.The soon-to-be-32-year old missed seven games in the 2018 season with an ankle injury before tearing ligaments in his right ankle on the first day of training camp last year. The injury required surgery and Green subsequently missed the entire 2019 season. However based on my video analysis of the injury and my interpretation of the reports, there is little worry with Green. He will start training camp and the season healthy and should not experience any residual impact from the ankle. Its worrying that his sprain lingered for a whole season, but the surgery was a simple scope cleanup surgery for an associated issue, bone spur or loose chip. The recovery from this type of surgery and sprain is routine. My belief is that Green could have returned last season as the Bengals dropped to the 1st overall pick, there was no need to hurry a return. The bigger issue with Green is that he is north of 30. For the first five seasons of his career, Green was elite. He averaged over 1,200 yards and nearly double-digit touchdowns. The last three seasons included just one full year with over 1,000 yards and eight scores sandwiched by a 10-game campaign that resulted in 66 catches for 964 yards and four scores and the 2018 season with career-low in yards, 694, and catches, 46. Even with Joe Burrow slinging the rock, a return to elite status is an uphill climb for the veteran wideout.
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