A.J. Green is excited to play with Joe Burrow, isn't worried about lack of on-field work
CINCINNATI — Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green had plenty of reasons to smile on Friday afternoon.
The soon to be 32-year old had just signed his franchise tender, which means he's going to make nearly $18 million this season.
Once he signed his deal, an offseason of uncertainty was over. Green is going to report to training camp on time.
He returns to a team that looks much different than it did in December. The Bengals are hoping Green and rookie Joe Burrow can become the NFL's next great tandem.
"When Andy [Dalton] and I got drafted in 2011, we didn’t have OTAS. We went straight into training camp like we’re doing now," Green said. "Everything I’m hearing about Joe, he’s a smart guy. I feel like he can handle all the situations He’s played at the biggest level. For him, to just go out there and play his game and me being in the right spots at all time for him."
Green exchanged text messages with Burrow this offseason, but has yet to meet the rookie signal-caller. That should change soon with rookies set to report for training camp on Tuesday, July 21. Green and the rest of the veterans have to be at camp on the 28.
"For me, just his energy," Green said when asked about Burrow. "You see the energy he brings to his teammates. Watching the national championship game you see how fired up he is. A lot of people don’t look at quarterbacks to be that fired up, but I feel like he’s going to bring that same energy he brought to LSU. I’m just excited to be out there with him."
Some believe it could take time for Green and Burrow to get clicking. They haven't worked out together, despite discussing the idea earlier this offseason. The seven-time Pro Bowler thinks the duo will be in sync when the regular season starts.
“I think a lot of people just play into the ‘how long is it going to take to get clicking?’ And stuff like that. I think we’re all football players. We’ve been doing this a long time," Green said. "Hobson was talking about how Andy and I came in in 2011 and we went 9-7. We didn’t have any kind of expectations, but I feel like when you have the No. 1 pick and what we did in free agency and me coming back, TB’s coming back, John, Tee and all these pieces that we added on defense… I feel like the talent level that we have now is way different than we had in 2011 — our defense was great, but I feel like our offense matches our defense right now.”
Green is right. There are high expectations for him, Burrow and the rest of the roster this season.
Their additions in the draft and in free agency have completely changed the outlook of the Bengals moving forward.
The roster was stale a season ago. Now, the Bengals will be must-watch television with Burrow in town.
The 23-year-old made it clear at the NFL Combine that he wanted to play with Green if the Bengals selected him with the top pick. He'll get to do that this season.
"It felt good, having a young guy coming in and watching about he needs an old me to help the team out," Green said. "It was a great pleasure to have him say that. I know the type of player he is and I know he’s a dog. I know he’s a dog for a fact. So I’m excited to play with him. I just can’t wait to get out there."
