The Pittsburgh Steelers have begun the first portion of their OTA’s this morning, and of course there are headlines right out of the floodgates. One in particular seems to answer questions fans have been wondering since the end of last season; Would Kendrick Green be switching back to his natural position at guard?
The answer seems to be yes. He was spotted taking reps during the workouts today, per Chris Adamski:
Kendrick Green confirmed he repped at guard today
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) May 24, 2022
This was long speculated after Green started the season as the starting center, and struggled at times to catch on. He was eventually benched due to injury, per the team, but still took a backseat to JC Hassenauer after he was seemingly good to go. Coach Mike Tomlin was vague when asked about the possibility of this happening, but OTA’s have given us the answer day 1.
Kendrick Green (#53). | Photo via Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO
It has been further confirmed by last year's starting left guard Kevin Dotson that there is indeed a competition between himself and Green for the starting spot, per Mark Kaboly:
Steelers guard Kevin Dotson said he was expecting what happened today at the first day of OTAs to happen — a competition with Kendrick Green for the starting left guard spot.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) May 24, 2022
This is a positive thing for both guys. Green gets to show off his skill set at his natural position, and Dotson faces healthy competition for a spot that last year he faced no real competition for. Many speculated this led to Dotson having a lazy off-season approach and that he came into training camp out of shape. He will now feel a little heat and have no choice but to give it his all and come in strong to keep his starting spot. In addition to this, Dotson is coming off an ankle injury that sidelined him for the second half of last season. He will have his work cut out for him, as will Green who hasn't played a snap at guard in the NFL. This also means as of now, free agent signing Mason Cole is likely the starting center for the team.
It will be an interesting story to monitor for the coming months leading into the season. Training camp will definitely be a tell all. As of this moment, Dotson is still the starter, but again, he will have Green hot on his heels. Green is a fierce competitor and a guy who will likely do all he can to get himself into a starting spot. Green does have an advantage in the fact he can play more than one position on the line, something the Steelers heavily covet and preach their linemen to be able to do. Either way, the competition will be fun to watch, and the line as a whole will look to improve on their inconsistent performance from the 2021 season.
#SteelerNation
