Bengals WR A.J. Green: 'If this is my last game, I had an unbelievable 10 years here'

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green has been in the NFL since 2011, turned 32 years old in July, and can see the writing on the wall ahead of the regular-season finale against the Baltimore Ravens. 

One game away from hitting free agency and playing for a team that's getting younger and rebuilding, Green seemed to offer an unofficial farewell while speaking with reporters on Thursday. 

"If this is my last game, I had an unbelievable 10 years here," Green said, per Ben Baby of ESPN. 

Green made Pro Bowl squads every year from his rookie season through the 2017 campaign, but the unbeaten Father Time caught up with the Cincinnati fan favorite over the past several years. Heading into Week 17, Green is third on the Bengals in receptions (47), targets (98) and receiving yards (523), and he has contributed a paltry two touchdown grabs. 

The harsh reality is that the Bengals must bolster other aspects of the roster during the upcoming offseason to build around young quarterback Joe Burrow, and cannot keep Green around as a mentor simply because of his ties to the organization or for what he was when in his prime. 

Green, meanwhile, could find a home on a contender willing to sign him on a short-term deal. 

Whatever happens during the winter and spring months, it's a safe bet Green will eventually retire as a member of the Bengals.