While the Arizona Cardinals beat the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football, it was a forgettable night for wide receiver AJ Green. For the first time in his 12-year career, he was active but didn't play a single snap as DeAndre Hopkins returned from suspension. 

When asked about why Green didn't play at all, Kliff Kingsbury basically just said it worked out that way. His additional comments on Green's role moving forward aren't exactly good news for his future in Arizona, either. Via PFT:

“We’re going to work through that,” Kingsbury said, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. “With all these pieces now, it’s going to be a challenge for us to maximize who we have.”

Article Continues Below

AJ Green could be the odd man out. Not only is Hopkins back, but the Cardinals also just traded for Robbie Anderson, another dynamic weapon for Kyler Murray. Green has only played in five games, registering five receptions for 56 yards.

He's always been one of the more reliable wideouts for this franchise, but there are numerous others who are more productive at this point. Plus, Green is relatively limited to the WR position and can't really play special teams, which is definitely going to hamper his chances to play more.

With Hopkins, Anderson, and Rondale Moore likely to get most of the snaps as the campaign rolls on, it's possible we won't see Green play much again this season, barring any injuries of course. It certainly sounds like Kingsbury and the coaching staff aren't exactly favoring him.