First-year Bengals coach Zac Taylor has had to deal with a lot already, with the loss of his best player for at least six weeks during the first practice of his first training camp.
And while they’re waiting for more word on the injury, Taylor’s trying to remain upbeat, even as Green was upset after missing seven games last year with a toe injury.
“I’d be disappointed, too,” Taylor said, via John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “He’s coming back from an injury, then this happens. Obviously, he’s down. We say, ‘you’re A.J. Green. You’ll bounce back from this. You’ll have the season you’re expecting to have.’ I’m proud of the way he’s handled the adversity. I look forward to having him back — whenever that time comes.”
Green saw a foot specialist yesterday, and Taylor said they were still awaiting a clarification today, but the injury has been reported to cost Green six to eight weeks.
The Bengals are also without John Ross with a shorter-term hamstring injury, forcing a bunch of younger players onto the field along with Tyler Boyd.
“It’s day-to-day,” Taylor said of Ross. “When he’s cleared to be on the field, we’ll put him out there. We don’t want to put him out there too soon and risk losing him for a couple of weeks. It will be good to see some guys get out there and compete.”
Taylor didn’t want to blame the turf at the University of Dayton’s Welcome Stadium for Green’s injury, even though Boyd called it “terrible.”