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CINCINNATI -- If anybody was likely to have an opinion about Steelers safety Mike Mitchell, it would be Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green. Mitchell knocked Green out of a game in 2014. The jarring hit gave Green a concussion that kept him out of the 2014 AFC wild-card game. Accusations of dirty play have flown back and forth between both teams over the years. The most recent came from the Steelers side, when players said they would be on the lookout for Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who they said had a history of stepping on feet during games. Burfict has knocked Steelers players such as Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown out of games. Mitchell gave Tyler Eifert a concussion in 2015. Ryan Shazier also knocked Giovani Bernard out of the 2015 AFC wild-card game.  But Green just shrugged when asked about Mitchell, saying that his aggressive style was just part of the game.
"He tells me I'm a good player. It's all mutual respect out there," Green said. "Whatever happens out there, I don't feel he's a dirty player, man. He just plays with a lot of emotions." According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Mitchell was fined $48,620 for a late hit to the knees of Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith last week. Mitchell told reporters that he was pushed into Smith and didn't feel he was a dirty player. Smith said it was "about as flagrant as it gets when it comes to a low hit on the quarterback." Green said he didn't have any lingering feelings over the play that gave him a concussion. "I don't think nothing dirty was about it," Green said. "He plays very aggressive. When they had Ryan Clark, Ryan Clark played the same way, come down and hit you. It's what it is: football." He added: "It's a man's game. Can't go just out there and whine about it. That's his style of play. That's what makes him a starting safety in this league, and he's a good one, he's a great one."
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