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A.J. Green’s injury is more serious than what was originally thought.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Green underwent an MRI that revealed ligament damage in his ankle, which will sideline him for 6-8 weeks.
An MRI revealed that Bengals’ WR A.J. Green has torn ligaments in his left ankle that is likely to sideline him six to eight weeks, source tells ESPN. Green is not expected to be ready for the regular-season opener at Seattle.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 28, 2019
NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero adds that Green is seeking a second opinion, but it doesn’t appear surgery will be needed.
#Bengals star WR A.J. Green will get a second opinion on the ankle injury he suffered in practice last night, source said. No surgery for now, but he’ll get additional information before deciding how to proceed.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 28, 2019
The initial reports were that Green suffered a low-ankle sprain that could sideline him around four weeks but not put him in danger of missing Week 1 vs. the Seahawks. Now, he’ll almost certainly miss that and potentially several more regular-season games.
After Seattle, the Bengals host the 49ers, face the Bills in Buffalo, then take on the Steelers on Monday Night Football in Pittsburgh. If eight weeks is the longest Green would be out, then he should be back for the game in Buffalo, but after a long layoff, the Bengals may bring him back slowly and not risk a re-injury.
The good news is it’s not season-ending, but this is still a major setback for Green and the Bengals, especially as they look to hammer out an extension before he hits free agency in 2020.