A.J. Green completes his NFL career and returns to the Bengals as a legend and ruler of the jungle.
Remember when the Bengals debuted their sleek white and black striped color blitz uniforms on Thursday Night Football seven years ago? The night A.J. Green gave his newborn son Easton Ace Green the shirt off his back after stripping the Dolphins for 173 yards?
Well, the boy they nickname “Eazy,” turns seven next week, but not until he’ll most likely wear a No. 18 jersey when his dad opens the Paycor Stadium season as “Ruler of the Jungle,” Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Local 12), in a game against the Ravens club he ruled.
“Well, I’m not really sure,” adds his mother, Miranda Green. “He also owns a Burrow jersey. We will have to see.”
But he wears the No. 18 to every flag football practice in suburban Atlanta, where his father coaches his team. They can’t take it away from him, even if he also adores Ja’Marr Chase and two of his father’s former teammates, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins. Later, he’ll learn that No. 9, Joe Burrow, passed for his first NFL first down in the 2020 opener, connecting with A.J. Green over the middle for 11 yards.
“He’s going to go crazy when he gets to see those guys,” A.J. Green adds. “He wants all of their jerseys.” He enjoys wide receivers. He knows them all. Justine Jefferson. Davante Adams. He enjoys athletics. I assure him it’s okay to wear one of their jerseys. He questioned me, “Are you sure that’s OK, Dad?”
“The kids love Burrow and Chase,” Miranda Green says. “I asked him who his favorite Bengals receiver was, and he responded Tyler Boyd. I enjoy Tee’s game because he reminds me of A.J. I’m not sure if he knows Tyler is one of his father’s former teammates. I believe he’s met him. But I don’t believe he has met Tee or Joe. I don’t believe I’ve met Tee or Joe. There was no contact in 2020. “It was such an unusual year.”
This all changes when the family attends Saturday’s walk-through on the Paycor Stadium turf his father owned long before The Big Three. Eazy now notices dancing on Madden. While Eazy and his four-year-old brother Gunnar play on the field, their father will undoubtedly make the rounds.
“Some of the boys are still there,” Green confirms. “Sam (Hubbard).” Logan (Wilson). Green says, “(Germaine) Pratt.” “I saw Tee at a signing in Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago. I talk with TB.”
Before all that, A.J. Green heads upstairs to see his old pen pal, Bengals president Mike Brown. The last time he got up there, it was shortly as the heartbreaking 2020 season ended. Green had never been healthy following a hamstring injury in training camp, and they were both aware of the unfortunate reality of pro football.
This was it. Green took the initiative to come up and say farewell. He was shocked by how a quietly distraught Brown refused to discuss Green’s departure.
“I adore Mr. Brown. He is the most misunderstood man ever. Unbelievable. “Unbelievable, dude,” Green told Bengals.com back then.
But Saturday will be different. After receiving handwritten letters from Brown when he retired in February and announcing a draft pick in April, Green will be honored with Bengal for Life.
