A.J. Green Bio
Adriel Jeremiah “A.J.” Green (born July 31, 1988) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, earning first-team All-American honors before being selected by the Bengals with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of his era.
Across his NFL career, Green appeared in 159 games and compiled 727 receptions for 10,514 receiving yards and 70 receiving touchdowns. A seven-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Second-team All-Pro, he spent a decade in Cincinnati before closing his career with the Arizona Cardinals.
Early Life and Background
Adriel Jeremiah Green was born on July 31, 1988, in Summerville, South Carolina. He grew up in the small Lowcountry town and attended Summerville High School, where he became a three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and track. When Green was four years old, his older brother and only sibling died in a car wreck on the way to a school carnival, an event that shaped his early years.
At Summerville, Green played wide receiver for the Green Wave football team under legendary coach John McKissick. He earned All-State honors four times and was the only junior nominated to the 2006 USA Today All-American first-team after posting 75 receptions for 1,422 yards and 16 touchdowns during his junior season. He finished his high school career with 5,373 receiving yards, then the second-best total in national high school history.
Green also competed on the track and field team as a long jumper and triple jumper, and he once told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that juggling as many as four items at a time helped him develop the hand-eye coordination that later served him on the football field. He was a member of the Summerville High basketball team that won the 2007–2008 South Carolina state championship.
Path to the NFL
Rivals.com ranked Green as the No. 9 prospect in the high school class of 2008, while Scout.com placed him No. 10 nationally. He participated in the Under Armour All-America Game and was profiled by Sports Illustrated in June 2006 as part of its “Where Will They Be?” series, with the magazine comparing him to Oakland Raiders star Randy Moss.
Green verbally committed to the University of Georgia in October 2006 and signed his letter of intent on February 6, 2008. He played for head coach Mark Richt’s Georgia Bulldogs from 2008 to 2010, immediately becoming a featured target. As a freshman in 2008, he set Georgia freshman records with 56 catches for 963 yards and eight touchdowns, was named SEC Freshman of the Year, and earned first-team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press.
After sophomore and junior seasons that brought further All-American and All-SEC recognition, Green declared for the 2011 NFL draft on January 9, 2011. He left Georgia ranked among the most productive receivers in school history, finishing his three college seasons with 166 receptions for 2,619 yards and 23 touchdowns.
A.J. Green Career
Early Career (2011)
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Green with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, making him the highest drafted wide receiver in University of Georgia history. He signed a four-year, $19.6 million contract on July 28, 2011, and quickly delivered. His first NFL reception was a 41-yard touchdown from Bruce Gradkowski against the Cleveland Browns in the season opener, and he led all rookies with 65 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games.
His rookie season ended with a Pro Bowl selection, a spot on the PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team, and a new Bengals franchise record for receiving yards by a rookie. Green also helped first-year quarterback Andy Dalton set the NFL record for combined rookie passing and receiving production.
Cincinnati Bengals Breakthrough (2011–2015)
From 2011 through 2015, Green established himself as one of the NFL’s most productive receivers. He opened 2012 with a 183-yard game against the Washington Redskins, posted a career-long 82-yard touchdown against the Detroit Lions in 2013, and caught a franchise-record five consecutive 100-yard games that same season. In 2015, he set a personal best with 227 receiving yards against the Baltimore Ravens, the second-highest single-game total in Bengals history.
During this stretch, Green posted five straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career, joining Randy Moss as the only players in NFL history to accomplish the feat at that time. He was named to the Pro Bowl in each year from 2011 through 2015 and earned Second-team All-Pro honors in both 2012 and 2013. From 2011 to 2013, his 260 receptions set an NFL record for most catches in a player’s first three seasons.
Cincinnati Bengals Later Years (2016–2020)
Green continued as Cincinnati’s top receiver through the late 2010s, earning Pro Bowl nods in 2016 and 2017 to extend his streak to seven consecutive selections. He set a franchise record with his 32nd career 100-yard receiving game in 2018, surpassing Chad Johnson, but a toe injury limited him to nine games that season and ended his consecutive Pro Bowl run. After missing the entire 2019 campaign with a torn ankle ligament suffered in training camp, he returned in 2020 under the franchise tag and finished with 47 receptions for 523 yards and two touchdowns.
By the end of his Bengals tenure, Green ranked second in franchise history behind only Chad Johnson in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
Arizona Cardinals Era (2021–2022)
Green signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals on March 17, 2021, joining a receiving corps that included DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk. He opened the season with a 112-yard game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3, his first 100-yard performance since 2018, and surpassed 10,000 career receiving yards during a Week 14 contest against the Los Angeles Rams. He finished 2021 with 54 receptions for 848 yards and three touchdowns.
After re-signing with Arizona on a one-year deal in April 2022, Green appeared in 15 games with ten starts in his final season, finishing with 24 receptions for 236 yards and two touchdowns. He capped his career with a 77-yard touchdown catch off a flea-flicker against the San Francisco 49ers.
Driving Style and Strengths
At 6 feet 4 inches and roughly 207 pounds, Green combined rare size with the kind of body control and ball-tracking ability typically associated with smaller receivers. He was a precise route-runner, a reliable target on intermediate and deep throws, and a frequent contributor on third down and in the red zone, where his frame made him difficult to defend in jump-ball situations.
Notable Events and Milestones
Green appeared in seven Pro Bowls, earned two Second-team All-Pro selections, and was named First-team All-American in both 2009 and 2010. He posted six seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards, set the Bengals’ rookie receiving record, and surpassed 10,000 career receiving yards during his time in Arizona. On September 16, 2023, he signed a one-day contract with Cincinnati to officially retire as a member of the Bengals.
A.J. Green Career Wins
While “wins” in football are a team statistic, Green compiled an impressive collection of individual honors and postseason moments across his career. He earned seven Pro Bowl invitations, two Second-team All-Pro selections, a PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team nod, and back-to-back First-team All-American honors at Georgia.
Cincinnati Bengals Highlights
Green spent ten seasons with the Bengals and ranks second in franchise history in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, behind only Chad Johnson. He helped Cincinnati win the AFC North in 2013 and reach the postseason in multiple seasons, including a Wild Card Round game in which he caught his first career postseason touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015.
He closed his Bengals career with a franchise record of 32 career 100-yard receiving games and a seven-season streak of leading the team in receiving yards, surpassing marks previously held by Chad Johnson and Cris Collinsworth.
Other Wins and Performances
At the University of Georgia, Green earned First-team All-American honors in 2009 and 2010, was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2008, and was a two-time First-team All-SEC selection. At Summerville High School, he was part of the basketball team that captured the 2007–2008 South Carolina state championship.
A.J. Green Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Green grew up in Summerville, South Carolina, alongside an older brother who died in a car accident when Green was four years old. He has spoken about that loss as a defining moment in his early life and has credited his family and hometown community for supporting his athletic development.
Personal Life
On March 21, 2015, Green married actress and singer Miranda Brooke, his college sweetheart. The couple has two sons together. In 2015, Green established three scholarships at the University of Georgia, including one for a student-athlete on the football team and two needs-based scholarships. He has also supported charitable causes in Nicaragua and donated money to elementary school teachers in Summerville.
2025 Season Performance
As a retired player, A.J. Green is not active on the field during the 2025 NFL season. He officially stepped away from professional football in February 2023 and signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Cincinnati Bengals in September 2023 to retire as a member of the organization.
Green has been visible in post-career activities, including charitable work through the scholarships he endowed at the University of Georgia and contributions to causes such as Hope Road Nicaragua and Summerville-area schools. His legacy remains tied to his ten seasons with the Bengals, where his statistical totals place him among the most productive receivers in franchise history.
Looking ahead, Green is widely viewed as a strong candidate for future recognition by the Bengals’ Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, given his seven Pro Bowl selections and status as one of the most productive wide receivers of the 2010s.
