Kendrick Green didn’t have the rookie season he was hoping for. And it looks like he’s spending his first true offseason as a NFL player working with one of the best centers in Pittsburgh Steelers history. Earlier Monday, Maurkice Pouncey shared a photo on his Instagram page of him, Kendrick Green, and the trainer who runs the account, @akfit247.
The caption reads: “The Grind Never Stops Work While Others Sleeping” with Pouncey’s company Cells RX tagged as well.
Green was drafted as Pouncey’s replacement, even wearing his #53 jersey (which Green wore in college too, to be clear). But Green didn’t have nearly the rookie success Pouncey did, struggling with his technique, consistency, and ultimately ended the season on the bench for the more trusted J.C. Hassenauer.
Green’s future and role with the team is already in doubt. It’s unknown if the Steelers plan to keep him at center or if they will shift him back to left guard, his more natural position he predominantly played at Illinois. That may all depend on what else the team does in the offseason, the players they are able to sign in free agency and select in the draft.
While Green has the physical tools to play in the NFL, he struggled technically with his hands. A lack of length and poor technique caused him to be unable to get into the pads of the defender and he too often wasn’t in control of the block. In the run game, he struggled with balance and the ability to stay on the feet while he was bull-rushed backwards in pass protection time and time again. But the Steelers put a lot on his plate and deemed him “NFL-ready” even though most draftniks viewed him as a project. His rookie-year struggles come as little surprise.
To the here and now, it’s nice to see Green link up with a player like Pouncey (who clearly is slimming down post-retirement like plenty of offensive linemen do). We don’t know how much or how often they’re training together but if there’s a guy to work with, it’s Pouncey.
