‘Now He’s Playing Fullback’: Big Ben Roasts Steelers for Failed Kendrick Green Pick

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger ripped his former team and general manager Kevin Colbert for the drafting of center Kendrick Green with a third-round pick in Roethlisberger’s final season in 2021 on a recent episode of his Footbahlin podcast.

With the news that Green has been working as a fullback at Steelers training camp, Roethlisberger seemed to take issue with the fact that he was drafted in the third round and then inserted largely unchallenged into the Steelers starting lineup for what was set to be Roethlisberger’s final season.

“They drafted that guy to be my center,” Roethlisberger said. “Last year, he didn’t even dress. And now they have him playing a little bit of fullback. … Kevin Colbert and them drafted him to be my center my final year.”

Roethlisberger made it clear that he wasn’t being critical of Green, but rather the situation he was put in. Green rarely played center in college at Illinois, and was tasked with replacing All-Pro Maurkice Pouncey as a rookie in 2021.

“This is not a knock on him,” Roethlisberger said. “I love Kendrick Green. He was a great guy. Good teammate.”

Roethlisberger didn’t seem derisive of the idea of Green playing, fullback, either.  Mostly, he just seemed to want to highlight the failed high-draft pick and experiment to move Green to center in what was Roethlisberger’s last chance at a Super Bowl.

“Good for him to find a way to get on the field,” Roethlisberger said. “I hope he gets the ball at the goal line.”

Green has also been working as the backup center behind Mason Cole after spending the 2022 season at guard, without getting to play.

Roethlisberger spent 11 years with Pouncey as his center from 2010-20, and also worked with Justin Hartwig and Jeff Hartings earlier in his career.