New England Patriots Rumors: 3 reasons A.J. Green is not a fit
Durability
The New England Patriots were linked to A.J. Green around the NFL Trade Deadline, but an ankle injury that sidelined the star receiver for the entire 2019 season put those rumors to rest.
So, is it worth paying top dollars for a 31-year-old receiver who will be spending the offseason rehabbing that ankle?
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Knowing Bill Belichick, he will use A.J. Green’s recovery as a reason to not offer as much as some other team unless there is no reserve about his ankle or any other injury going into the 2020 season.
Besides the ankle injury, history is on Green’s side as he has played 10 or more games in every season except 2019 and 2018 when he played in just 9 games. Those last two seasons are the concern.
With his age, healing and recovery takes a bit longer, but A.J. Green did get some encouraging news from his doctor about the effect of that ankle injury on his future.
"“I feel good just getting confirmation from him. Knowing there’s no effect on my future,” Green said, via Bengals.com. “I never thought it would be that bad that I could never play at a high level. Just hearing him saying it made me feel a lot better.”"
The million (s) dollar question is whether other teams will still view A.J. Green as a top-level wide receiver. Or, will he have to take less on a shorter deal to prove his value once again? That may be where the New England Patriots swoop in.
However, unless it’s a cheaper deal, the Patriots should focus their attention towards a receiver not coming off a season-ending injury.