Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green spoke about his hamstring injury Friday and appeared to put to bed the rumor he could play next weekend.
Instead, Green revealed he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring tear, which means a 50 percent tear, per Geoff Hobson of the team website. He is jogging now with no timetable for return. Green hopes to play again this year, if he can, and said he’d play in Week 17, even if the team didn’t win another game.
even if 3-11-1 he'll play finale: I won't bail on my team.
— Geoff Hobson (@GeoffHobsonCin) December 2, 2016
While it’s certainly possible Green could return in 2016, this latest news puts to rest the notion he’ll be back any time in the immediate future.
Without Green in the lineup last weekend, Cincinnati’s offense struggled against the Baltimore Ravens. Andy Dalton was uncomfortable, inaccurate and struggled to find his receivers open downfield. Tight end Tyler Eifert was his top target, seeing 11 passes come his way and catching just five for 68 yards and a touchdown.
The Bengals are not technically a lost cause, based on their 3-7-1 record, but they might as well be. That hasn’t stopped head coach Marvin Lewis from preaching to his team that the playoffs are still in the cards if the team wins out and it gets some help (more on that here).
So perhaps a return in Week 17 could potentially have some more significance for Green and the Bengals than simply a moral victory. But don’t hold your breath.