A.J. Green's timeframe to return to the field is now longer than previously anticipated.
Following his ankle surgery on Tuesday, Green is expected to miss multiple regular-season games, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Bengals coach Zac Taylor confirmed that news Tuesday afternoon.
"I hate to put weeks on it," Taylor told reporters, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, "but we are ready for him to come back when he feels healthy and ready to go and hopefully it's not more than a couple games."
Green underwent surgery on Tuesday morning to clean out his sprained left ankle that he injured in practice on Saturday. It was understood before the surgery that Green still had a shot to play in Cincinnati's Week 1 opener against the Seattle Seahawks. But following further examination, Green is now expected to miss not just the opener but the first part of the Bengals' 2019 campaign, however long that is.
Cincinnati follows its opening trip to Seattle with games against the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bengals will start the Taylor era with Tyler Boyd and John Ross as likely starters at receiver, though it should be noted Ross (hamstring) has had durability issues of his own in the past and this summer.
In addition to missing time on the field, the collateral damage surrounding Green's injury will extend to the negotiating table. Rapoport added that contract extension talks between Green and the Bengals will be "halted" because of the injury. Green is entering the final year of his deal and is owed nearly $12 million in base salary.
This is the second consecutive season, and the third in four years, in which Green will miss multiple games due to injury. The seven-time Pro Bowler sat out seven matches in 2018 with a right toe injury.
