Hello alazae64,
Welcome to the Apple Support Communities.
The article you started with can help you identify if you are using a verified pair of AirPods. If you are using unverified AirPods, they may not behave as expected. You can continue with these troubleshooting suggestions if your AirPods will not connect as expected: If your AirPods won't connect.
Please also be sure to fully charge your AirPods before testing again. It may also help to reset them following these instructions: How to reset your AirPods and AirPods Pro.
If you have a second device, try pairing your AirPods with that device instead. If the issue continues, please contact Apple Support directly for more help.
All the best!