Cardinals WR A.J. Green on mentor Larry Fitzgerald: ‘Larry is Arizona’

New Arizona Cardinals wide receiver A.J. Green knows a thing or two about being the face of a franchise.

Spending 10 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Green compiled seven Pro Bowl nods to go along with 9,430 receiving yards (eighth among active players) and 65 receiving touchdowns (seventh).

The wide receiver also made sure to keep his image up while talking to the media, ever diligent not to be caught up in unnecessary drama that could hinder the team moving forward.

Sound familiar? It’s the Larry Fitzgerald model.

So it wasn’t much of a surprise when Green brought up the fact that he kept his business to himself when signing with the Cardinals this week.

“I knew Fitz for a long, long time and I knew the kind of guy he is and what he meant to this organization, so I never even asked him about the situation or told him anything about this,” Green said via Zoom on Thursday.

“I just want to keep the business side out of it with Larry, but he loves this place. Larry is Arizona. I knew once I signed I would talk to him. He wants the best for me. He’s like a big brother to me. Whatever happens I know I’m going to have Larry in my corner no matter what.”

But don’t think just because he was mum with the future Hall of Famer on his Cardinals deal that Green wouldn’t want to suit up alongside Fitzgerald in the desert.

If Fitzgerald were to return to the Cardinals in 2021, he and Green would line up with more than 2,000 catches, 26,000 yards and 185 touchdowns between the two of them. Throw in DeAndre Hopkins’ god-like numbers and Arizona has three of the league’s top receiving threats since 2013.

“It’d be unbelievable. You know what he’s done. I always was a big Larry fan from college,” Green said of the possibility of playing with his role model. “He came to my game when I was in college, so I’ve been knowing Larry for a long time.

“He’s been a mentor to me for these last couple years in the NFL, going through the whole draft process and signing my next deal and just talking to him at the games. It’d be an honor but you know he’s been playing this game for a long time so whatever he decides, whatever happens, I know I’ll be seeing him around here all the time so I’m not worried about seeing him.”

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