A.J. Green‘s initial timetable pointed to a return at some point during the Bengals’ September slate, and the Pro Bowl wide receiver expressed optimism earlier this month. But Green will not return for Week 4, and Zac Taylor indicated (via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s John Fay) he does not expect the veteran wideout to practice this week.
Green suffered an ankle injury, one that required a minor surgery, on July 27. At first, a six- to eight-week recovery timetable surfaced, with Taylor then saying “a couple” missed games was a likely scenario. Week 5 would stand to be Green’s earliest return date, but no practices leading up to Week 4 do not represent a good sign for that prospect.
“He’s certainly turned in the right direction. I don’t want to give any timeline – next week, the week after, week after that,” Taylor said. “It will be exciting when we get him back.”
The ninth-year receiver shed his walking boot barely six weeks after the injury, so this may not be cause for alarm yet. The Bengals opted not to place Green on IR. To justify this decision, the 31-year-old standout would need to return in the next couple of weeks.
The Bengals are 0-3 without Green this season and were 1-6 without him in 2018. By next week, Green will have missed 17 of Cincinnati’s past 42 games. Prior to Green’s latest injury, both sides sought an extension. But nothing has emerged on that front in months; the Bengals surely want to see if Green can stay healthy when he returns.