Veteran wideout A.J. Green announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday. The 34-year-old player walks away after spending 12 years in the league playing with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Arizona Cardinals.
“I’ve never been a man of many words, so I’ll keep this short,” Green wrote on Instagram before going on to thank everyone who made contributions to his storied career.
“I’ve stayed true to the game, and it owes me nothing,” he added. “Be blessed. Love y’all! The next chapter begins.”
A.J. Green entered the league in 2011 when the Bengals took him with the fourth overall pick. The Georgia product more than justified the high selection, making a Pro Bowl in his rookie year and then returning in each of the following six seasons. During that stretch, Green had less than 1,000 yards, and six touchdown catches only once.
Green’s remarkable run came to a halt in 2019 when he suffered torn ligaments in his ankle and was forced to miss the entire season. He returned the following year but was never the same player anymore. He left Cincinnati after the 2020 season and spent the last two years with the Arizona Cardinals.
Green finishes his career with 727 catches for 10,514 yards and 80 touchdowns. He retires ranked second on the Bengals’ all-time list for all of these categories, behind only Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson.
