Getty A.J. Green #18 of the Cincinnati Bengals reaches for his foot after injuring it during the second quarter of the game against the Denver Broncos at Paul Brown Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green was carted off the field after a training camp practice Saturday. According to NFL.com’s Albert Breer, the star wideout “looked like he knew something was wrong. Green also required crutches as he left the facility following the injury.
“AJ Green left sitting in the cart with his left foot elevated and his shoe off. Threw his mouthpiece after he went down. Looked like he knew something was wrong.” Breer tweeted.
Initially, it was unclear what his prognosis was, but the nature of Breer’s update and the crutches could potentially indicate a lengthy recovery time. However, ESPN reporter Tyler Dragon says it may just be an ankle sprain for Green, who already has his foot wrapped up.
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If the latter is true, Green could theoretically see playing time this fall. According to Harvard Health, Green appears to have the symptoms of at least a Grade 2 ankle sprain based on his reticence to put weight on his foot.
Moderate pain, swelling, and tenderness. Possible bruising. Mild to moderate joint instability. Some loss of range of motion and function. Pain with weight bearing and walking.
A.J. Green Injury Update
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 now says six to eight weeks for Green with torn ligaments in the ankle.
The initial prognosis was more positive, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport revealed. According to the analyst, Green’s injury was believed to be a sprained ankle.
The Bengals avoided missing the receiver for the year, but the first quarter of the season will figure to be tough sledding for new head coach Zac Taylor’s offense.
Green required surgery on a toe on his right foot last year after a Week 13 performance against the Broncos. He finished with one of his worst statistical seasons, grabbing just 46 balls for 694 yards on six touchdowns.
He has garnered 602 catches for 8,907 yards and 82 scores in his 8-year career. Six of those seasons have led to at least 1,000 yards.
A.J. Green Fantasy Football Projections
Bengals WR A.J. Green carted off the field at the end of practice. Had the shoe off of his left foot.
According to CBS Sports, Green was currently worth a second or third-round draft pick in fantasy football prior to the injury.
Prior to getting hurt, in the eight healthy games Green played last season, he scored at least 15 PPR points in seven of them. He also averaged 17.9 PPR points over that span. The addition of new coach Zac Taylor will hopefully help the offense in Cincinnati, and Green should remain the focal point for Andy Dalton, even with Tyler Boyd now looking like a legitimate threat. Green, even at 31, should be in line for a rebound campaign in 2019, and he should be a great value pick on Draft Day.
In his entire career, he’s averaged 14.8 PPR points, including all but one year above 14. However, with a potentially bum foot or ankle, where should you go with your receiver picks this season?
Someone with a lot of potential value is Amari Cooper for the Dallas Cowboys. This will be his first full season in Dallas after last year’s trade which brought him in from the Oakland Raiders, and he caught 66 passes for 896 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games.
Projected out to a full season, that’s well over 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns. You are approximating Green’s production over the better parts of his career, and at least per CBS Sports, you are getting someone in the top-40 range rather than the highly-regarded Green.