AJ Green calls it a career. The seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday after 12 years in the league.
“I’ve never been a big talker, so I’ll be brief,” Green wrote on Instagram. “Thank you. Thank you to everyone who has supported, encouraged and inspired me throughout my career. Special thanks to the University of Georgia, Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals for the opportunity to continue my dreams. I’ve stuck with the game and it owes me nothing. Bless you.. I love you all! The next chapter begins..”
Green, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, quickly became a star receiver with the Bengals. He caught 65 passes for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, then also had at least 1,000 receiving yards in five of the next six seasons – the only time he failed being a season during which he missed six games due to injury.
During his career with the Bengals, he caught 649 passes for 9,430 yards and 65 scores. Each of these characters rank second in team history behind only Chad Ochocinco. Green spent the last two years of his career with the Cardinals. catch 78 passes for 1,084 yards and five touchdowns – including one 77 yard score in his last NFL game.
Green’s 10,514 receiving yards ranks 44th in NFL history, and he’s one of 27 players to have recorded at least 725 receptions, 10,000 receiving yards and 70 receiving touchdowns during of her career. Injuries kept him from reaching even greater heights, but there was a time when he was one of the most unstoppable receiving weapons in the NFL. He was a prototype No. 1 wide receiver that could both move strings and win in the field, had great speed and size, and consistently produced at a high level year after year.
