The Cincinnati Bengals will be without AJ Green in Week 1 versus the Seattle Seahawks. On Sunday, the Bengals announced that Damion Willis will be Green's replacement to begin the regular season.
In one of the first practices of training camp, Green suffered an ankle injury and was ruled out fo six to eight weeks. Therefore, it has already been determined that he won't be ready by Week 1 but he could also miss more games.
Willis, an undrafted rookie, will make his first regular-season start when Cincinnati takes the field on September 8. The undrafted rookie receiver joined the Bengals this offseason in hopes of making the 53-man roster. That doesn't seem to be a problem at the moment, given that he has been thrust into the starting lineup.
In college, Willis spent two years at Troy and showcased his big-play ability at wide receiver. Willis caught 98 receptions for 1,496 yards, and 13 touchdowns in those two seasons.
Coming into training camp, Willis was a long-shot to make the roster but he has made an impression on rookie head coach Zac Taylor. Taylor and the coaching staff have been pleasantly surprised with the 6-foot-3 wideout in training camp.
Willis took his momentum in training camp and has conveyed it into the preseason. Through three preseason games, the rookie pass-catcher has corralled nine passes for a total of 118 yards and a touchdown.
Aside from Willis, Tyler Boyd and John Ross will likely man the other two receiver spots in the offense. Regardless of who is on the field, they'll need to provide Andy Dalton some help if they hope to defeat the Seahawks.
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