A.J. Green Doesn't Appear in Cardinals Win vs. Saints
For the first time in his borderline Hall-of-Fame career, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver A.J. Green didn't log a snap in a game in which he was active and dressed.
Arizona won 42-34 against New Orleans on Thursday Night Football. In the win, Kyler Murray had 20 completions, and none of them were to Green.
The 34-year-old receiver only had 10 receptions for 56 yards through the first six games of 2022. His 5.6 yards per reception this season is easily a far cry from his 15.7 mark in 2021 when he caught 54 passes for 848 yards in 16 games.
The Cardinals have gotten contributions from other wide receivers. Before his foot injury, Marquise Brown led the team in receptions (43). Greg Dortch found success early in the season and has 22 receptions for the year. 2021 second-round pick Rondale Moore has returned from injury and totaled 17 receptions in his first three games.
With Brown being placed on Injured Reserve this week, Green's potential role on the roster was secure.
But the return of DeAndre Hopkins from a six-game suspension and the acquisition of Robbie Anderson has made Green's role dwindle even further.
Green has also battled injuries this season. He suffered a knee injury in Week 3 and missed Week 4.
After Thursday's win, head coach Kliff Kingsbury said that Green not playing was a result of the team giving snaps to Anderson and getting Moore involved in the offense.
"It just worked out that way," Kingsbury said.
Green was one of three active players for the Cardinals who did not play Thursday — the other two were quarterbacks Colt McCoy and Trace McSorley.
The possibility of Green being released in the future shouldn't be overlooked. Brown is expected to miss six weeks and once he returns, Green could be shown out the door. Barring injury, he would be the sixth receiver on the team.
In early October, Arizona released Andy Isabella, who had requested permission to seek a trade in the offseason and voiced his frustrations in the preseason as he looked to go elsewhere.
After catching two passes on four targets in the team's Week 6 loss vs. the Seahawks, Green blamed Arizona's offensive issues on struggling with details.
"We're just not doing the little things," he said.
Green's days of being a Pro Bowler are easily behind him.
But the fact that his playing time has now diminished entirely certainly doesn't bode well.
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