Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver A.J. Green reportedly suffered a Grade 3 sprain to his right shoulder during Sunday's come-from-behind victory over the St. Louis Rams.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported after the game that Green's shoulder was wrapped in ice and in a sling, and the rookie would undergo X-rays on the injury.
Green said he expected to play next week against the Arizona Cardinals.
"I had it before and it's nothing serious. I'm definitely not going to miss these last two games for nothing," Green said, via the Enquirer.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache, an orthopedic surgeon based in Los Angeles, told the newspaper that Green should be able to play through the injury.
"If that is truly the injury then the issue primarily is pain. As long as he can get his arm up over his head he should be fine," said ElAttrache, who added that Grade 3 sprains usually are treated without surgery.
Green injured the shoulder late in the second quarter when he braced himself as he fell following an incomplete pass. He was announced by the Bengals as questionable to return. Green was in obvious pain as medical personnel examined him on the bench, and he held his right arm close to his body as he jogged off the field into the locker room just before halftime.
But Green returned during the second half after he received an injection, reported the Enquirer, and finished with six catches for 115 yards to top the 1,000-yard mark on the season. His 1,006 receiving yards are 3 shy of Cris Collinsworth's franchise rookie record set in 1981. The sixth overall pick from the 2011 NFL Draft entered the game leading the team in receptions (55), receiving yards (891) and touchdowns (7).
