Last night and today the Pittsburgh Steelers used C Kendrick Green at fullback, something that has been receiving plenty of attention from Steelers fans. A big, 300-plus pound fullback creating holes for RB Najee Harris is certainly the sight to see, and today head coach Mike Tomlin said the idea came to him last season as the team was preparing for the Baltimore Ravens and 311-pound fullback Patrick Ricard.
“We really discovered it late last season in preparation for Baltimore when he was representing that big fullback for them,” Tomlin said in his post practice press conference which Jeff Hathhorn posted to Twitter. “[Ricard] is a unique guy, so we asked KG to provide a quality look for us, and he really did. So we just kinda put that in our hip pocket.”
Ricard, a Pro Bowler, is a bulldozer for the Ravens’ elite rushing attack. The game Tomlin mentioned came in Week 17 as in the first matchup between the AFC North rivals Baltimore ran all over the Steelers. To prepare the team for what to expect, only Green really fits what Ricard is.
Ricard, like Green, is not a traditional fullback. In college he played on the defensive line, while Green is an offensive lineman. While not exactly the same, it is similar enough to understand why Tomlin decided to use Green as the Ricard impersonator.
Green started at center after he was drafted in 2021 but struggled. After the signing of Mason Cole in free agency last year, Green spent most of last year as a gamely inactive, sitting behind Cole and J.C. Hassenauer. This year Green is competing for the backup center role, with Hassenauer gone, but that is not guaranteed with other players such as Nate Herbig getting reps at center so far in training camp.
For Green, his ability to play fullback and open holes may actually be his path to a roster spot. With last year’s fullback Derek Watt gone there is sort of a vacancy there. Yes, TE/FB Connor Heyward is available, but it is not confirmed they even want to play him as a fullback with last year him playing primarily tight end.
This preseason it will be fun to see if Green gets any run at fullback. A huge man like Ricard, he could provide a big boost for a running attack that is primed to take off this year behind a revamped offensive line. While we haven’t seen what it will look like in game action, from practice reports Green at fullback could be highly effective.
