A.J. Green looks primed and ready for a big 2020 season

After a rough couple of seasons for the star wideout, A.J. Green looks primed and ready to make 2020 his best campaign yet.

After missing the last 23 games of his career, star Cincinnati Bengals’ wideout A.J. Green is ready to be back on the field. Following the 2019 season, the Bengals placed the franchise tag designation on Green, worth about $18 million. Green stated his discontent with the franchise tag, remaining noncommittal to the idea of offseason workouts or even training camp.

The Bengals and A.J. Green’s camp made solid progress towards an extension but could not complete a deal at the deadline. However, the negotiations seemed to put a chip on Green’s shoulder. He showed up to training camp ready to prove that he is still A.J. Green.

According to his trainer Curtis Winter, “I think he wanted to prove to everybody he is the person they thought he was originally.” Winter took notice of the strength and mobility work that Green had put in, “Within a few weeks, I realized his ankle was as strong as it’s ever been.”

A.J. Green’s never had to prove his talent to anyone, but something is different this year as he tries to prove to the Bengals, and the league as a whole, that he is a top wide receiver. “I’m tired of seeing everything — ‘A.J. should be a top-10 if he would’ve played.'”

A.J. Green is already turning heads at training camp

As training camp ramps up, heading to full pads, Green looks like a dominant force on the field. During a Training Camp Report on Thursday, Dave Lapham stated “A.J. looks like a finely-tuned machine, ready to have a big season,” and others are starting to notice.

Teammates have raved about Green’s athleticism. Drew Sample only practiced with A.J. once before Green went down with an injury. During an early practice this offseason, Sample stated “I forgot how explosive he is.” C.J. Uzomah reminded Sample, “You haven’t seen the half of it yet.”

With A.J. Green’s injury history, it is crucial that the Bengals’ coaching staff keep a close eye on number 18. Cincinnati Bengals’ fans have been salivating at the thought of a Joe Burrow deep ball to A.J. Green, and if all goes to plan, Green will make sure that happens for a long time coming.