Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green published a heartwarming tribute to former NFL wideout Rondale Moore, who died by suicide on Feb. 21 of this year at the age of 25, for The Players’ Tribune.

Green, who spent two years as Moore’s teammate with the Arizona Cardinals from 2021-22, grew incredibly close to Moore and even called him “Rondale Green” and his “third and oldest son.”

Green beautifully expressed how much Moore meant to him as both a teammate, mentee, and friend in his writing, and he also wants to use the platform to inspire change.

A.J. Green proposes mental health assistance for injured NFL players

Having known Moore throughout his three-year stint in the league, Green was intimately aware of what the former second-round pick was going through mentally. He had suffered two major knee injuries almost exactly one year apart in 2024 and 2025. He entered the 2026 calendar year not having played a game since Jan. 7 of 2024.

That time away and the setback has Green believing Moore was likely depressed, despite seeing and hearing good things from him.

“He was talking about the future. He wasn’t just on one of these downward spirals. If anything, he seemed to be slowly pointing back in an upward direction. The thing is, though, that upward direction……. It’s not a straight line. There’s gonna be dips. And when those dips come, for whatever reason, you need to be able to manage them in time before your (expletive) hits the bottom.” — A.J. Green on Rondall Moore

Green went on to propose players who suffer a major injury should be seen by an independent mental health counselor, and players who suffer a second major injury should continue seeing a counselor even after rehab.

“So like I said: I know I’m just a former player. I’m no expert. But to me there’s a lot that could still be improved in the NFL, as far as how the league is helping its players with their mental health. And one way I would start is by making it mandatory, if you have a major injury, that you see an independent mental health counselor as part of your rehab. And by also making it mandatory, if you have a second major injury, that you see an independent mental health counselor for an extended period of time, even after your rehab. And the reason I say this — it’s because I’m not an expert. You know what I’m saying? Like, Rondale, he had a support system. He wasn’t alone. He had friends who loved him, family who loved him. But those relationships can be complicated. And while those people can give you love and support … what they can’t give you is professional help, and what they can’t do is equip you with tools so that, if you ever do have a mental health crisis, or even just a really bad day, you know how to handle it. And you don’t go and do something you can never undo.” — A.J. Green

It’s a great idea coming from a place of true grief. Green became a huge part of Moore’s life, and that life no longer exists. He managed to have a widely successful career that spanned over a decade, and positioned himself to be a mentor for someone like Moore. Moore won’t have that chance now, and any more tools given to people who struggle with mental health is a universally good thing.

“In my opinion, if Rondale had those tools, he might still be alive today. And I want to make sure we’re never saying that again about a young NFL player. Because I keep coming back to this one part about it — and it may be the part that’s most heartbreaking to me: Rondale was 25, man. He was so damn young. He really was just a kid.” — A.J. Green

Moore’s death is a tragedy Green will remember for the rest of his days. Hopefully it can lead to something wonderful like Green suggests it could.

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