CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green isn't happy with the team's decision to pull him from Saturday night's game against Houston, a source told ESPN.
And he may not return for next week's final game of the regular season.
Green has been recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered in the team's Nov. 20 loss to Buffalo. But, he was optimistic he'd return this week. Green traveled with the team to Houston, but sources told ESPN's Bob Holtzman Green was pulled from a team meeting and told he'd be sitting out.
At that point, the star receiver asked to fly home to be with his wife and 3-month-old son for Christmas weekend rather than watch the game from the sidelines.
Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said coach Marvin Lewis, medical staff and team ownership talked about Green's injury more in depth Friday and determined he hadn't fully recovered. Green has a partially torn tendon and, though he could run at practice, the Bengals would run "an inordinate risk" he'd be re-injured if he played Saturday, Brennan told ESPN.
"He just had further testing during the week, and I conferred with the doctors and so forth, and they just thought the best thing for A.J. to have a full recovery was not to risk him this week," Lewis said after the Bengals' 12-10 loss to the Texans.
Lewis was asked why the team didn't make the decision before allowing Green to fly to Houston with the team.
"We had a lot of discussions and so forth, and A.J. hoped to play," Lewis said. "We ended up flying here and made the decision, and he asked for the opportunity to go home."
A source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that Green is not expected to play in the regular-season finale against Baltimore.
Quarterback Andy Dalton appreciated that Green wanted to play with the Bengals already eliminated from playoff contention and raved about his character. Green has 964 yards receiving this season despite missing five games.
"A.J.'s obviously the type of person that was going to do everything he could to get back for this team," Dalton said. "I think that's one thing he said from the beginning was, 'Regardless of the scenario, regardless of the position that we're in, I'm going to do everything I can to come back and play this year.' That's just the type of guy he is, the type of guy you want on your team, the type of teammate he is. He did that. He felt like he was in that position and the ownership made a decision."
Before his injury, Green was leading all AFC receivers by 121 yards and was just three catches short of the conference lead. He was voted to the Pro Bowl earlier this week, the sixth time he's been selected.
