Veteran Green returns to Cards on 1-year deal

The Arizona Cardinals are bringing back veteran wide receiver A.J. Green on a one-year deal, it was announced Thursday.

Contract terms were not available.

Last season, Green came as close as he has been to a 1,000-yard season since his most recent, in 2017. He finished 2021 with 848 yards and three touchdowns on 54 catches.

Part of why Green signed with the Cardinals was for the opportunity to be a No. 2 receiver behind DeAndre Hopkins, the first time in his career that he wasn’t his offense’s top receiving option.

He quickly found a role in Arizona’s offense. However, by late December, coach Kliff Kingsbury acknowledged that he didn’t do a good enough job of getting the ball to Green.

Green, who turns 34 in July, was targeted 5.75 times per game. He finished with two 100-yard games, including his first since 2018.

He silenced the concerns about his durability. After missing the 2019 season with an ankle injury, he’s played 16 games each of the last two seasons.

Green signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals last offseason worth $6 million. It was the first time in his career that Green found himself wearing a jersey other than one for the Cincinnati Bengals.

He is second in Bengals franchise history in receiving yards (9,430), receptions (649) and touchdown catches (65) in 127 games.

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