Cincinnati Bengals: AJ Green Now Out for Texans Matchup
At around 9 am EST, it was reported A.J. Green will be out for the Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 16 matchup with the Houston Texans.
It’s been a rough year for the entire Bengals offense. And it doesn’t look like that’s going to change in these final few weeks.
Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported Saturday morning that the Bengals are likely now shutting down wide receiver A.J. Green for the remainder of the season. Green had previously been expected to play today. He told sideline reporter Evan Washburn of CBS last Sunday that he was fine to play, but waiting one more week. He continued to tell reporters throughout this week he would be playing on Christmas Eve. His official status was questionable.
Green can now be added to the long list of Bengals that’ll be watching Saturday’s game from the sidelines. Tyler Eifert, Vontaze Burfict, and Clint Boling will be keeping Green company in Houston. Burfict reported concussion symptoms during the week, Eifert’s back injury flared back up, and Boling needs rest to deal with a shoulder injury he’s had since Week 4.
More from Stripe Hype
With the move to shut down Green for the season, the front office in Cincinnati has made itself clear—the Bengals are playing for next year.
Linebacker PJ Dawson has been activated, so he and 2015 3rd round pick Nick Vigil will probably spend this Sunday having their futures evaluated. Rex Burkhead is likely to see more snaps. The Bengals will begin deciding if they should resign him after this season.
None of this is ideal for Bengals fans looking to enjoy a great matchup on Christmas Eve. The game might be rough, but it’s obviously all done with the team’s best interests at heart. Keeping the wear and tear off the stars is logically the best move for a team eliminated from the playoffs. Hopefully the backups can provide some surprise firepower and make this game interesting.
