A.J. Green Bio
Adriel Jeremiah “AJ” 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 regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of the 2010s decade.
Across his NFL career, Green earned seven Pro Bowl selections and was named Second-team All-Pro in 2012 and 2013. He spent ten seasons with the Bengals, signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, and later returned to Cincinnati to retire as a member of the franchise where he built his legacy.
Early Life and Background
Green was born in Summerville, South Carolina, on July 31, 1988. When he was four years old, his older brother and only sibling died in a car accident on the way to a school carnival, a tragedy that shaped his upbringing. As a child, he was part of his elementary school’s juggling team and once told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he had been juggling as early as second grade. He said he could handle as many as four items at a time, and he credited the activity with sharpening his hand-eye coordination.
He attended Summerville High School, where he was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and track. Playing wide receiver for the Summerville Green Wave under legendary coach John McKissick, Green earned All-State honors four times. He 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. He was also a member of the Summerville High basketball team that won the 2007-2008 South Carolina state championship, and he competed as a long jumper and triple jumper on the track and field team.
His 5,373 career receiving yards rank second in the all-time career receiving records of the National Federation of High Schools, and his 279 career receptions rank fourth. In June 2006, Sports Illustrated profiled him in its “Where Will They Be?” series, comparing him to Oakland Raiders wideout Randy Moss and projecting an NFL future.
Path to American Football
Green committed verbally to the University of Georgia in October 2006 and signed his letter of intent on February 6, 2008, choosing the Bulldogs over other suitors. Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 9 prospect in the class of 2008, and Scout.com placed him at No. 10 nationally. He participated in the Under Armour All-America Game, where he showcased the size, speed, and route-running polish that defined his pro projection.
He arrived in Athens as the highest-rated wide receiver recruit in program memory and immediately cracked a deep Georgia receivers group that included Mohamed Massaquoi, Michael Moore, Kris Durham, and Demiko Goodman. His freshman production set the tone for a three-year college career that ended with 166 receptions for 2,619 yards and 23 touchdowns, capped by a junior All-American campaign in 2010.
A.J. Green Career
Early Career (2008-2010)
As a freshman in 2008, Green posted 56 catches for 963 yards and eight touchdowns, all Georgia freshman school records. He led the Southeastern Conference in receiving yards, was named SEC Freshman of the Year, and earned second-team All-SEC recognition. In 2009, he added 53 catches for 808 yards and six touchdowns despite missing late-season games with a shoulder injury, returning for the 2009 Independence Bowl win over Texas A&M.
His junior season in 2010 began with a four-game suspension after he admitted to selling his 2009 Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000, but he returned to record 57 catches for 848 yards and nine touchdowns. Green declared for the 2011 NFL draft on January 9, 2011, leaving Athens as a two-time first-team All-American and one of the most decorated receivers in program history.
NFL Breakthrough (2011-2013)
Green was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted wide receiver in Georgia school history. He signed a four-year, $19.6 million contract and made an immediate impact, catching a 41-yard touchdown from Bruce Gradkowski in his very first NFL game against the Cleveland Browns. He finished his rookie year with 65 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns, leading all NFL rookies in receptions and receiving yards while earning a Pro Bowl nod, the first rookie receiver to do so in eight years.
From 2011 to 2013, Green caught more passes (260) than any other player in NFL history during their first three seasons, a record later broken by Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. He topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons and earned Pro Bowl honors all three years, cementing himself as one of the league’s most dangerous young receivers.
Cincinnati Bengals (2011-2020)
Through 2020, Green built a Bengals career that ranked second in franchise history behind only Chad Johnson in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He posted six seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards and set a franchise record with five consecutive 100-yard games in 2013. That season he set career highs with 98 receptions and 1,426 yards, was targeted a franchise-record 178 times, and was named a Pro Bowler for the third straight year.
He strung together seven straight Pro Bowl selections from 2011 through 2017 and in 2018 set a franchise record with his 32nd 100-yard receiving game. Injuries interrupted his later Bengals seasons, including a torn ankle ligament in 2019 that cost him the entire year, and a 2020 campaign in which he finished with 47 receptions for 523 yards and two touchdowns. He was released by the Bengals following the 2020 season and closed his Cincinnati tenure ranked behind only Chad Johnson in the team’s career receiving categories.
Arizona Cardinals (2021-2022)
Green signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals on March 17, 2021, and started alongside DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk. He reached 100 receiving yards for the first time since 2018 in a Week 3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and crossed 10,000 career receiving yards in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams. He finished 2021 with 54 catches for 848 yards and three touchdowns.
He re-signed with Arizona on April 14, 2022, and played in 15 games with ten starts, finishing with 24 receptions for 236 yards and two touchdowns. His final career game against the San Francisco 49ers included a 77-yard flea-flicker touchdown from David Blough. On February 6, 2023, Green announced his retirement on Instagram, and on September 16, 2023, he signed a one-day contract with the Bengals to retire as a member of the franchise where he first made his name.
Notable Events and Milestones
Green’s career featured signature moments such as his 82-yard touchdown catch against the Detroit Lions in 2013, his 227-yard performance against the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, and his 51-yard game-tying touchdown against the Ravens later that same season. He set an NFL record with 260 receptions through his first three seasons, surpassed Cris Collinsworth’s Bengals rookie receiving record in 2011, and joined Randy Moss as the only players in league history to open a career with five straight 1,000-yard seasons. He retired with 10,514 career receiving yards.
A.J. Green Career Wins
While the NFL does not track wins at the individual level for wide receivers, Green’s teams reached the postseason in each of his first five seasons, including an AFC North title in 2013. He earned seven Pro Bowl berths, two Second-team All-Pro selections, and two first-team All-American honors, and was a consistent top-100 NFL player vote-getter in annual peer rankings throughout the 2010s.
NFL Highlights
Green’s 10,514 career receiving yards rank among the top totals of his era. His first 100-yard game came in his second career contest against the Denver Broncos in 2011, and his most recent 100-yard game came with the Cardinals in 2021. He played in five playoff games for Cincinnati, with his first postseason touchdown coming in the 2015 Wild Card Round against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Other Performances
Green earned first-team All-American recognition in both 2009 and 2010 and was twice named to the Associated Press All-SEC first team. At Summerville High School, he was a four-time All-State selection and finished his career ranked among the top receivers in National Federation of High Schools history.
A.J. Green Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Green was raised in Summerville, South Carolina, where he lost his older brother in a car accident at age four. That family loss shaped his early years and became a formative part of his story.
Personal Life
On March 21, 2015, Green married actress and singer Miranda Brooke, his college sweetheart. The couple has two sons. In 2015, he endowed three scholarships, one for a Georgia football student-athlete and two needs-based scholarships for Georgia students. In 2018, he took part in the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign, supporting Hope Road Nicaragua, and in 2019 he donated money to elementary school teachers in his hometown of Summerville.
2025 Season Performance
As a former player who officially retired in 2023 after signing a symbolic one-day contract with the Bengals, A.J. Green is not active in the 2025 NFL season. He has not announced a return to professional football, and no team has reported an active roster role for him. His legacy continues to be honored in Bengals history, where he remains second to Chad Johnson in career receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
Green remains involved in philanthropy and is recognized for endowing scholarships at the University of Georgia and supporting causes such as Hope Road Nicaragua. He is also remembered as a finalist-caliber NFL Top 100 player, ranking inside the top 25 on three separate occasions during the prime of his career.
Should circumstances ever shift, his 2025 outlook would track with broadcast, coaching, or ambassadorial opportunities in the Bengals organization or the broader NFL community, though no such role has been publicly confirmed.