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It would appear A.J. Green and the Bengals dodged a major bullet.
After watching the Pro Bowl receiver get carted off the field from Day 1 of training camp, there was significant fear that Green had suffered a serious lower-leg injury. However, the belief is now that it was nothing more than a sprain that shouldn’t keep him sidelined too long.
According to Elise Jesse of WLWT, Green’s injury is believed to be a low-ankle sprain.
I’m being told AJ Green’s injury specifically is a low ankle sprain. (If you have any experience with high ankle sprains this is good news.) @WLWT
— Elise Jesse (@Elise_JesseWLWT) July 27, 2019
Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson adds that Green is set to undergo an MRI on Sunday. As long as no other damage is revealed, Green is expected to be ready for Week 1 when the Bengals face the Seahawks.
Here is the play in which Green was injured:
Here is @Rockhold_Megan's video of A.J. Green's injury slowed down and enhanced. It gets pixelated, but it appears Green's leg gets caught under Dre Kirkpatrick as he falls to the ground. #Bengals pic.twitter.com/qcDFR5Snpy
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) July 27, 2019
If it really is just a low-ankle sprain, Green should only be sidelined for a few weeks and may actually be able to return for a preseason game or two. Had it been a high-ankle sprain, he could be sidelined for a few months and miss several regular-season games.
Still, losing Green is a setback for the Bengals as they implement a revamped offense under first-year head coach Zac Taylor, not to mention a first-year offensive coordinator in Brian Callahan. Not having Green on the field is going to stunt the growth of this offense, but hopefully, it also allows for younger receivers to get more reps and show what they’re made of.