The Arizona Cardinals were confident in giving wide receiver A.J. Green a one-year contract after seeing him play 16 games in 2020.
While he finished with pedestrian numbers, suiting up for all games is a victory in itself after missing the entire 2019 season.
However, the Cardinals might get more than what they bargained for after this observation by ESPN’s Louis Riddick.
What I saw from AJ Green at #Cardinals practice today looked like the 2015 version. He was 🔥. AZ has the potential to have top 5 WR group with DHop, AJ, Rondale Moore, Christian Kirk.
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) August 18, 2021
During that time, Green was arguably one of the best, if not the top receiver in the league.
He made his fifth Pro Bowl in 2015 after collecting 86 receptions for 1,297 receiving yards and ten touchdowns.
If Green can duplicate or surpass those numbers during the upcoming regular season, the opposing secondary will be in big trouble.
Imagine Kyler Murray throwing bombs to Green, DeAndre Hopkins, and Christian Kirk.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury better not mess this up because he has one of the better passing offenses in the NFL.
Meanwhile, Cardinals fans have the right to dream about Green performing at a Pro Bowl level.
After toiling with the Cincinnati Bengals for 10 seasons, it looks like he has a renewed love for the game.
Lining up with Hopkins will open up the field for him as well.
Yet no matter how good his form looks; it won’t mean a thing if he succumbs to another injury.
Injury History
Green missed just one game during his first three seasons.
But in the 2014 season, injuries forced him to sit out three games.
It could technically be counted as five games if not for entering the game for spot minutes in two games.
In 2016, Green tore his hamstring during their Week 11 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
That injury prompted the Bengals to put him on injured reserve and he ended up missing five games.
AJ Green is being carted off the #Bengals practice field with a potential foot/ankle injury. [per @AlbertBreer]
The hope for Green to regain prime form in 2019 is now in danger.
He's working to return from the toe injury that landed him on IR in 2018.
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) July 27, 2019
After the season, Green was still a Pro Bowler despite missing that many games and not reaching 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career.
Seems like Green is inviting bad luck during even years as he only played nine games in 2018 after playing all games the year before.
He initially missed three games after a toe injury during their Week 8 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Green returned in Week 13 versus the Denver Broncos, only to re-injure his toe and miss the rest of Cincinnati’s schedule.
Not only did he miss on a Pro Bowl selection but also another 1,000-yard season.
The worst is yet to come as torn ligaments in his ankle left Green with no other option but to miss the entire 2019 campaign.
Health Is Wealth
That sounds a cliché but it’s the mantra by which Green must take by heart in 2021.
It’s time for him to prove that he’s not just an able wide receiver but a durable one too.
The Cardinals will need a bounce back year from Green if they are to emerge from the ultra-competitive NFC West.
#AZCardinals WR @ajgreen_18 returns for individual drills at #CardsCamp pic.twitter.com/UtaMY3tyZv
— Paul Calvisi (@PaulCalvisi) August 15, 2021
If he can stay on the field and contribute significantly to the Cardinals offense, the team might bring him back for a longer contract and more money.
To summarize that possibility, Green will command more green bucks.
NEXT: James Conner Contract: What Would A New Deal Look Like?