Bengals star wide receiver A.J. Green will undergo surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right toe. The surgery means he’ll be sidelined for 3-4 months, meaning the operation will officially end his season.
Green had been dealing with toe discomfort throughout the season, but he appeared to aggravate the injury in the first half of the game against the Broncos, and he left the field in obvious pain. Although we don’t know exactly what he’s dealing with, it sounds as if he has tears to multiple toe ligaments. If this is true, surgery is certainly the best course of action for the wide receiver.
Explaining Toe Ligament Surgery
Toes are like our fingers, in that we don’t realize how vital they are to our day-to-day routine until an injury comes about. Our most important toe is our big toe, as it helps facilitate movement, aid in balance and manage stress and weight. Typically the last surface to leave the ground when walking or running is our toes, and the great toe ends up handling more stress than the other toes, so an injury to the ligaments in the big toe can be crippling.
Reports suggest that Green is dealing with multiple tears to ligaments in his right big toe. There’s a chance that if this happened to a normal individual, they’d be able to get by with a walking boot and plenty of rest. The toe may not get back to 100 percent, but it may heal to a stage where it’s “good enough” for the average person. But Green, who earns millions sprinting by past defenders or making quick cuts on the grass, isn’t your average Joe.
For someone like him, the best option is surgery. Surgery will ensure that the proper healing takes place, and when paired with a individualized rehab plan, the ligaments can make a full recovery. In fact, many times the ligaments are stronger than they were in the first place because they are surgically reinforced. Instead of dealing with some discomfort, if all goes well, Green will likely be much healthier and have stronger toe tendons than he did at the beginning of this season.
Obviously there are some risks with surgery, and there’s always the possibility of suffering a setback, especially since Green is going to be channeling a lot of stress through the toe next season. However, the 3-4 month recovery timeline gives Green plenty of time to ensure his toe is back to full health before he steps back on a football field. The team believes he’ll be healthy enough to participate in organized team activities in June, and we see no reason why he won’t be back to full health by that time.
Here’s hoping everything goes as planned and Green can get back to an All-Pro level in 2019. We wish him the best of luck with his operation and recovery.