Kendrick Green gets more reps at fullback as Steelers explore center’s versatility
Share this post:
After making his NFL training camp debut at fullback, Kendrick Green didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes raised about a repeat performance.
Not even after the 6-foot-1, 315-pound center caught a pass and had two noteworthy blocks in the three reps he took in the backfield Friday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers practiced at Latrobe Memorial Stadium.
“I don’t think it will be anything too serious,” Green said Saturday morning before practice. “I’m still meeting with the offensive line, playing center. We’ll see.”
Green couldn’t have been more wrong. He took up residence in the backfield again a few hours later, playing a handful of snaps at fullback. One of those snaps even took place with the first-team offense.
“He’s done some nice things, but it’s not new to him,” coach Mike Tomlin said after practice.
Although Green hadn’t played fullback in a game since high school, he was used on the scout team at the position late last year the week ahead of the Steelers’ game against the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers asked him to fill the role of Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard, who stands 6-3 and weights 305 pounds.
“That guy is a unique guy, so we asked KG to provide a quality look for us, and he did,” Tomlin said. “We just put that in our hip pocket.”
The Steelers, who have been without a true fullback since Monte Pottebaum suddenly retired last week, waited until this weekend to remove it from their pocket.
“In an environment like this, we want to see what guys are capable of doing, adding to their cause and ours,” Tomlin said. “He’s shown some flexibility there.”
Green remains in a running for a backup spot on the offensive line, and he has been the second- and third-team center in most practices. He didn’t know he would be taking snaps at fullback until Friday morning.
“It was a good time,” he said.
On his first snap at fullback in the padded practice Friday, Green opened a lane for running back Darius Hagan on a block of linebacker Quincy Roche. On the second rep, Green flared out of the backfield and caught a pass from Mason Rudolph for about a 10-yard gain. That brought a loud cheer from the 14,000 fans in attendance.
“I can catch a little bit,” Green said, looking at his hands. “These work a little bit from playing backyard football in the day.”
On his third and final rep, Green went in motion and bulled over linebacker Toby Dnukwe.
Green’s teammates were as impressed as the fans at his fullback prowess.
“He had everybody hyped,” rookie left tackle Broderick Jones said. “I’m happy for him. That’s going to be a big asset for us in the long run. People don’t see that too often, and they won’t expect it.”
Green had the crowd buzzing again Saturday when he caught another pass from Rudolph and ran through Tanner Muse’s tackle.
Green doesn’t have any expectations of becoming a regular fullback, but he did allow that it’s not his decision to make.
“I do whatever Mike Tomlin tells me to do,” he said.