Wide receiver A.J. Green emerged from the locker room Friday morning wearing a boot on his foot and a frown on his face, an all but certain sign the 3-1 Bengals are going to be without their three-time Pro Bowler for Sunday's game at Paul Brown Stadium (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 19) against the 3-2 Panthers.
But head coach Marvin Lewis appeared rather upbeat and said after practice he has been told Green is day-to-day.
"It's a good thing. That's positive," Lewis said. "The sky didn't fall."
He listed Green questionable for Sunday, but Lewis usually doesn't play guys in a week they don't practice at all. Clad in Bengals sweats and a Bengals ball cap, Green chatted with the quarterbacks and wide receivers as they ran routes into the end zone in the early stages of practice on the PBS turf.
Green re-aggravated the ligament under his big toe in Wednesday's practice and is looking at missing his first game since his rookie year, when he missed one with a knee injury. He played just five snaps back on Sept. 14 in the victory over Atlanta before it flared up.
Green met with a foot specialist Thursday. Although a report surfaced Friday saying that Green won't need surgery, apparently the club is still trying to determine what needs to be done. He is scheduled for another consult next week as the Bengals try to find out if it's a short- or long-term problem and how long it's going to be day-to-day. Also not working was right guard Kevin Zeitler (calf) and defensive tackle Brandon Thompson (knee) and they were classified as doubtful. but Zeitler could be back for next week's game in Indianapolis. Wide receiver Marvin Jones (ankle) was upgraded to questionable, but he hasn't practiced this week.
Linebackers Rey Maualuga (shoulder), Vincent Rey (calf), and George Iloka (abdomen) were all out there after they were limited the previous two days and went full on Friday to be called probable.
