The Pittsburgh Steelers organization is well known for being a "player-friendly" team. Everyone who ever spends time with the team comments on how everyone from the Rooney's, to head coach Mike Tomlin, makes them feel like they matter and treats them like family. This mutual respect creates a feeling of loyalty on the part of the players. However, neither Ramon Foster nor Maurkice Pouncey, both former players, is known to mince words and they expressed some concern regarding a young player on the team.
Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin, Maurkice Pouncey, and Art Rooney II as Pouncey is drafted by the team.
Both Pouncey and Foster spent their entire career in Pittsburgh, and all but two years of it together. Foster, a guard, was an undrafted free agent who was with the team from 2009-2019. Pouncey, a center, was a first-round draft pick who was a Steeler from 2010-2020.
Pouncey was a guest on the most recent episode of Foster's podcast, The Ramon Foster Show on DK Pittsburgh Sports. While on the show, one of the questions that Foster asked Pouncey was how he felt about his jersey number being given to a new player so quickly after his retirement.
Pittsburgh drafted Kendrick Green in the third round of the 2021 draft. He was given Pouncey's old number, 53. Pouncey said he had more feelings about how the whole situation with Green played out rather than worrying about his jersey number.
Green, who switched from defensive tackle to offensive line in college had also played a few games at center. When he was drafted by Pittsburgh, he was immediately listed as the starting center in training camp.
AP
Steelers utilized rookie Kendrick Green at center during the 2021 season.
He played almost all of the snaps, 975 or 96%, on offense up to Week 16 when he was injured in the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Overall, Green finished his first season with an overall PFF grade of 52.4. He was also criticized for committing several penalties (6 in total), not unusual for a rookie center.
Now Pouncey and Foster are speaking out about how they feel Green was put in a bad position that he wasn't prepared for.
Did The Steelers Do Kendrick Green Dirty?
Pouncey said that he did receive a text from the equipment manager letting him know that Green was going to wear his number in 2021.
"I said, bro are you serious? Do you know how many numbers I had in my life? I was #9 for the Crystal Lake Panthers. When I was a little kid, I wore #18 because I thought I was Peyton Manning."
Foster followed that up by asking Pouncey if the treatment Green received meant something different to him because he was wearing his old number.
"Did you think it was a little unfair how he was judged," Foster said. "I mean let's be real, he is light-skinned like you..."
Pouncey says he just felt bad for Green.
"I more hated it for him because they thought they wanted him to be me. I thought Kendrick is a really good player."
Both Pouncey and Foster stated that they feel he wasn't given time to develop and this led to him getting a bad reputation with fans who didn't understand all of the nuances.
"He needs time to develop. I mean he was a little bit shorter (6'2" to Pouncey's 6'4"), obviously, he comes from a smaller school. I mean sometimes guys need time to develop. I hate when you throw guys in there and they don't develop as quickly and you think they're not good players. Like how the hell did we draft them? We've seen something in him that the Steelers organization likes. I mean they don't just draft anybody, you know what I'm saying?"
It is not entirely surprising to hear Pouncey defend Green. There were reports last year that the two had been training together. On top of that, Pouncey has always been a player with a huge heart who tries to give back as much as he can to the game of football.
Maurkice Pouncey's Instagram
Former Steeler legend, Maurkice Pouncey, works out with center Kendrick Green.
While there are certainly some valid concerns and critiques about Green's performance during the 2021 season, it is hard to place the blame at his feet. He was thrust into a starting role in a position he was barely familiar with. The team needed to take the time to help him develop the skills necessary to play center in the NFL.
Do you think Green got a bum rap from the Steelers organization? From the fans? Do you agree with Pouncey and Foster about him being thrust into the starting role prior to him being ready? Click below to comment.
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