AJ Green retires with Cincinnati Bengals after signing one-day contract

Former NFL wide receiver AJ Green has officially retired as a Cincinnati Bengal. The seven-time Pro Bowl signed a one-day contract on Saturday to mark an official end of his career.

Green spent a majority of his career in Cincinnati. He played for the Bengals from 2011-20 before playing his final two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals (2021-22).

The Bengals posted on social media about Green’s one-day contract. It was an awesome gesture from the organization to honor one of its all-time greats.

“A.J. Green has officially retired as a Bengal,” the team wrote on X (formerly Twitter), also sharing a photo. “WHO DEY!”

A.J. Green has officially retired as a Bengal.

WHO DEY! pic.twitter.com/IyWlHxOixM

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 16, 2023

Green was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, earning the honor every year from 2011-17. He was also a two-time second-team All-Pro selection.

Green was a first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Georgia. He was selected by Cincinnati with the No. 4 selection that year.

In more than a decade in the NFL, Green racked up 10,514 receiving yards and 70 touchdown catches on 727 receptions. He also made five postseason appearances in his career, four with the Bengals and one with the Cardinals.

Cincinnati’s announcement came a day before the Bengals play their home opener at Paycor Stadium on Sunday. They host the Baltimore Ravens at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.

The Bengals are hoping to record their first win of the season after a disappointing Week 1 outcome against the Browns. Cleveland defeated Cincinnati 24-3 to open up the 2023 NFL season.

A.J. Green had special career while at Georgia

Before he was a star in the NFL, Green put together tremendous numbers as a college player at Georgia. He earned plenty of accolades during his time with the Bulldogs.

Green earned the SEC’s Freshman of the Year honors in 2008. In his first season with the Dawgs, the receiver hauled in 56 catches for 963 yards and eight touchdowns. He posted an impressive 17.2 yards per catch.

The next two seasons, Green earned first-team All-SEC and All-American honors. In 2009, he totaled 808 yards and six touchdowns on 53 catches. He followed that up by recording 57 catches for 848 yards and nine touchdowns.

By the time his career in Athens concluded, Green left Georgia with 166 catches for 2,619 yards and 23 touchdowns. He maintained an average of 15.8 yards per catch over his three seasons in the SEC.