Former Steelers Starter Reacts to Ben Roethlisberger's Jab

Green's Steelers Tenure

After Maurkice Pouncey retired following the 2020 campaign, the Steelers were on the hunt for his long-term replacement in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The organization decided to take Green out of Illinois with the No. 87 overall pick in the third round and move him from guard, where he primarily played throughout his time in college, to center.

He officially earned the starting job coming out of the preseason, but his time at center went anything but swimmingly. Green started 15 of Pittsburgh's 16 games at the position and was on the field for 96 percent of the team's offensive snaps as a rookie, but he allowed three sacks and committed nine penalties, per Pro Football Focus, as his inexperience shined through.

It didn't take long for Green to fall completely out of favor, as he was inactive for all 17 contests during the 2022 campaign despite being moved back to guard. The Steelers later traded Green to the Houston Texans in August 2023, and he played in 21 games while making four starts for the team through 2024.

He went on to sign with the Buffalo Bills this past offseason and has resided on their practice squad for the entire year after not making their 53-man roster out of the preseason.

Steelers' Other Offensive Moves in Roethlisberger's Final Year

In an attempt to restock the offense before Roethlisberger hung up his cleats in 2021, Pittsburgh chose running back Najee Harris and tight end Pat Freiermuth in the first and second round, respectively.

Harris was an immediate star for the Steelers, rushing for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, while Freiermuth finished with 497 yards and seven scores on 60 catches that year.

It wasn't enough to help Roethlisberger go out on top, though, as Pittsburgh snuck into the playoffs with a 9-7-1 record before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round.

The Steelers also surrounded Rodgers with playmakers by adding Metcalf and tight end Jonnu Smith via trade while drafting running back Kaleb Johnson in the third round, but they didn't do anything quite as drastic as making him work with a rookie center who had never really played the position before.