The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a second trade in three days, sending OL Kendrick Green to the Houston Texans, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Media.
Green probably wouldn’t have made Pittsburgh’s roster barring a semi-surprising cut, and now the 2021 third-round pick will look to resurrect his career with the Texans.
Per Ian Rapoport, the Steelers are getting back a 2025 sixth-round selection from the Texans.
Green was Pittsburgh’s starting center in 2021 but struggled in 15 games, and he hasn’t been good at the position this preseason. Last season, Green wasn’t even active for a game as he was buried at the bottom of the interior linemen depth chart behind the likes of J.C. Hassenauer, who was the backup center to starter Mason Cole. The Steelers even chose to dress veteran offensive lineman Jesse Davis over Green last season. All of that came on the heels of Green logging 977 offensive snaps in 2021 as a rookie.
This preseason, Green played 131 snaps, 112 at center and 19 at right guard. He was flagged for two penalties, had two snaps that caused fumbles, and logged a 52.8 overall Pro Football Focus grade.
Following the trade, the Steelers will have a dead money cap charge of $226,502 in both 2023 and 2024.
For Houston, acquiring Green adds a player they considered taking in the 2021 NFL Draft. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reports that Texans general manager Nick Caserio considered selecting Green before he was taken by the Steelers.
With struggles at center continuing throughout this preseason, both blocking and snapping, Green became expendable. Nate Herbig now looks to be a major favorite to be Pittsburgh’s backup center.
