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The Bengals have lost A.J. Green for potentially the next two months after he suffered an ankle injury Saturday, which included damaged ligaments.
It came while the Bengals were working at Welcome Stadium in Dayton, which featured a practice field that was reportedly concerning to the team.
You can add Tyler Boyd and Josh Malone to the list of those who were not fans of the playing surface the team practiced on, which may have played a part in Green’s injury.
Tyler Boyd on the field in Dayton yesterday. Not holding back: "Turf was terrible. I couldn't run any routes. I was falling all over. It was bad. There was rock, pebbles out there. It was somewhere we shouldn't have been." #bengals
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) July 28, 2019
More from Boyd. "It was pretty level, I just feel like the turf was old. We didn't get good traction in and out of our breaks. A lot of guys, not just me, was on the ground."
— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonATH) July 28, 2019
Malone simply added, "It was bad."#Bengals
But while the players may be upset with the field, the team ultimately felt like it was safe to practice on, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
More on the decision to practice at the University of Dayton where A.J. tore ligament in his ankle Saturday: Bengals cleared the football field for use in the end, per source. Team did a site survey there and confirmed it was good to go.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 28, 2019
It’s an unfortunate situation, but it’s still impossible to know if the field did play a part in Green’s injury, which came as he was going up for a contested pass over Dre Kirkpatrick before coming down awkwardly. You can see the play here:
@LanceMcAlister AJ is out pic.twitter.com/eUlauxmgcE
— Megan Rockhold (@Rockhold_Megan) July 27, 2019
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
It’s an unfortunate situation, but it’s one the Bengals will have to overcome and move on from. With Green out, Boyd is now the Bengals’ go-to receiver, while Malone will get a chance to show if he’s worthy of a bigger role within the offense as he enters his third NFL season.