Steelers' Kendrick Green Slammed After Agonizing Performance By Former Steeler 'Can't Be Relied On'

The Pittsburgh Steelers went into their 2023 training camp with one word on everyone's mind: competition. The front office had put together a strategy to bring depth to a Pittsburgh squad that showed improvement over the second half of the 2022 season. From the defensive line to the secondary, it was all about creating competition to ensure that the 2023 Steelers final roster would truly be the best group to succeed. For offensive lineman, Kendrick Green, who has struggled much of his career, that competition may just be the reason he isn't a Steeler for much longer.

Steelers Have Dealt With Green's Struggles Before

After being selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Green found himself fighting an uphill battle during his rookie season. The concerns of his size (6'2, 315 lbs) were beginning to shine a bit more true than the Steelers would have liked, but it was the errors that sent the red flags up for Green.

During a particularly rough 2021 outing for Green against the Detroit Lions in his rookie season, badly timed snaps ended up determining the game that ended in a tie. To make matters worse, Green had one of his worst NFL performances against a Detroit team that had been 0-8 up and the game ended in a tie.

When Green's issues came up in the postgame press conference, Mike Tomlin had a very practical approach to how the team would handle Green's performance going forward.

“We’re just gonna ask that guy to snap the ball in a proficient, professional manner, and we’re gonna move on with our life.”

It is now the start of the 2023 preseason, and after Green's unimpressive showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it can't be as simple as hoping Green will snap the ball better and move on with their lives. Pittsburgh left themselves no excuses in 2023 by stacking their roster with players they trust, and it is quickly becoming apparent that Green may not end up one of those trusted to handle the rigors of the upcoming season.

Steelers’ Kendrick Green Is On Some Very Thin Ice

It has certainly been a roller coaster for Green over the last week. The third-year offensive lineman saw the competition that was brought in during the 2023 offseason, and it was clear that there would be no room for mistakes this time around. Unfortunately, it seems like Green forgot that fairly soon into his first 2023 preseason game.

Former Steelers defensive lineman, Chris Hoke, spoke on the KDKA Nightly Sports Call following Pittsburgh's preseason victory over Tampa Bay. Speaking from his own NFL experience, Hoke didn't mince words when it came to his assessment of how Green did when put at center on the offensive line.

"It was one bad play after another, and you can't have plays like that, especially now that you're a veteran, you're a third-year guy!"

Green's night consisted of a holding penalty that negated a 16-yard run by Anthony McFarland, a snap fumbled to quarterback Mason Rudolph, and then he allowed Rudolph to get sacked for a nine-yard loss. A fumble and negative 25 yards are hardly the best way to prove that you deserve a roster spot, especially at the center position. Mason Cole is looking like the frontrunner, and with Green struggling to make any kind of positive impact on the offensive line, that doesn't seem likely to change.

Hoke continued to speak on the awful night that Green had, making sure that no one misunderstood the point he was making. Green has had more than enough opportunities to show that he is a fully capable NFL center, and the only sure thing at this point is that he isn't up to it. Hoke told KDKA the same thing, pulling any trust in Green completely off the table.

"You have to be cleaner than that. You can't let a drive snowball like that because now you're showing the coaches, are you someone that can hold it together? Can we rely on you? And tonight, he showed that he can't be relied on."

Hoke has gone up against his fair share of NFL offensive linemen, so if he is looking at Green's body of work and not seeing what he should, there is certainly stock in that. It also isn't hard for fans and coaches alike to notice when a player is struggling, and the opening preseason game of 2023 was everything Green didn't want.

If there is a roster spot within Green's reach, the only realistic option might be to lean fully into the fullback experiment that the Steelers put into motion prior to the Tampa Bay preseason game. The more likely outcome is that Green has worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh, but he does have two preseason games left to put everything on the table.

The question is, will everything Green has to give be enough?