It’s a rough year for Cardinals wide receivers. DeAndre Hopkins is suspended, Rondale Moore is recovering from another hamstring issue, and now A.J. Green is out for an unknown amount of time. A day after the latter exited Sunday’s Week 3 loss to the rival Rams and did not return, Green is battling a bone bruise on his left knee, the Cardinals announced, and coach Kliff Kingsbury has no timetable for the veteran’s upcoming availability.
The 34-year-old wideout had yet to record a catch when he left Sunday’s game late in the second quarter. Quarterback Kyler Murray was looking his way, but the ball bounced off Green’s face mask as the receiver fell to the ground and clutched his knee. Green proceeded to leave the field with the assistance of a trainer, and Kingsbury said after the game he didn’t have a clear update on the pass catcher’s health. On Monday, Kingsbury echoed the lack of clarity, saying he wasn’t sure when Green would return.
It’s possible, if not probable, that Green will miss Week 4 against the Panthers. The former Bengals star missed just one game from 2020-2021, but he has a relatively extensive injury history. The seven-time Pro Bowler missed all of 2019 after tearing ligaments in his ankle, as well as seven games in 2018 due to a toe injury. A hamstring issue also limited him to 10 games back in 2016.
Should Green sit out Week 4, Arizona could be down four healthy receivers. Hopkins is suspended through Week 8, and Moore, who was expected to see a larger role as a downfield threat this year, isn’t guaranteed to return from a hamstring injury he aggravated ahead of Week 1. The other receivers on the roster are Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who broke out with 14 catches on Sunday, as well as Greg Dortch, Andy Isabella and Andre Baccellia.
KVSP