Entering his eighth season in the National Football League, A.J. Green hopes to help lead the Cincinnati Bengals to another playoff birth and maybe even more. So far through his career Green has seen success statistically and has been the model athlete and public figure both on the field and off. But, so far through his first seven years, what is the legacy of Green as a player.
On the field, there's no doubt, A.J. Green is as talented and consistent as any of the top-tier receivers in the league and his stats show that. He's one of the only players in NFL history to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first five seasons (Randy Moss the only other receiver to do it) and had it not been due to injury we could be saying that he would have done it for his first seven seasons consecutively (2016 he finished with 964 yards receiving). However, even with 1,000 yards in 6-of-7 seasons and double-digit touchdowns in 3-of-7 seasons, I still feel as if Green is an under-appreciated player in the league today.
Green isn't the most vocal receiver in the league, he doesn't boast too much after making a big play, he doesn't have a fancy touchdown celebration that he does and you won't see any antics from him on or off the field. A few things that he does is show up to the games, doesn't complain or blame others when he has a bad game and doesn't give the media a reason to keep him in the headlines for anything negative. Most of all, he goes out and gives his all on the field every single week and is the model of consistency in the Bengals' offense. He currently has 10 games with at least 150-receiving yards and two games with at least 200-receiving yards. Chances are when his number is called he'll step up.
Interesting stat: Even having had six seasons with 1,000 or more yards receiving, Green has never had a season with 100 or more receptions.
There's no doubt in my mind that Green will be wearing a gold jacket after he hangs his cleats up, there's no doubt that he will finish as the greatest receiver in Bengals history but what will his legacy be to the majority when it's all said and done. I believe that he differs a lot from the Chad Johnson's and Randy Mosses of the world and Terrell Owens. Not because he doesn't compare talent wise but because he isn't an off-the-field personality that they are and that's okay. But I do think sometimes that he's the forgotten man on the list when we talk about the greats, past and present. He isn't what Odell Beckham Jr. is and won't be. The only player I would draw him closest to in comparison from a talent and character perspective would be Larry Fitzgerald (not saying he's better) and that's because they both go out put in their hours and leave it all on the field then go home.
Green currently has 8,213 receiving yards, 57 receiving touchdowns on 556 career receptions. He is currently second on the Bengals all-time receiving list for receptions, receiving touchdowns and receiving yards (only Chad Johnson has more in all three categories).
The 2018 season will be big for Green, he'll be turning 30-years-old prior to the start of the season and is entering the back-end of his prime. the window seems to still be open for the Cincinnati Bengals to compete in the AFC and possibly make a championship run. I don't know exactly how the season will go for the Bengals but I could be sure that, if healthy, A.J. Green will look to have the greatest season of his NFL career.
