Kendrick Green gets start at right guard for Steelers' preseason finale against Falcons

ATLANTA – Kendrick Green was in the starting lineup Thursday night for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons.

Just not at the position he spent much of training camp practicing.

And, no, he was not at fullback, either.

The third-year offensive lineman, getting one last chance to show he can earn a spot on the 53-man roster, started at right guard.

Green predominantly played guard in college at Illinois. He was converted to center after the Steelers took him in the third round of the 2021 draft, and he started there for most of his rookie season.

Green, though, was inactive for every game last season after losing the left guard competition to Kevin Dotson. In training camp, Green was moved back to center and took second-team and third-team reps there while occasionally lining up as a fullback, a role he never got to fulfill in a preseason game.

With starter James Daniels not dressing for the preseason finale and Nate Herbig and Dotson nursing injuries, Green became the de facto right guard against the Falcons.

Daniels was not listed as having an injury when coach Mike Tomlin met with reporters Tuesday. Tomlin said all healthy starters would play against the Falcons. Herbig, who signed to a two-year, $8 million contract in free agency, also did not dress for the second preseason game because of his shoulder injury.

Green moved back to center when the substitutes began entering the game in the first quarter. When first-round draft pick Broderick Jones entered at left tackle, Dan Moore moved over to right tackle and took some snaps there.

Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi did not play for the third consecutive game with a foot injury. Defensive back Tre Norwood was in uniform after missing the first two games with a leg injury.

Also not in uniform Thursday night was defensive tackle Cameron Heyward. T.J. Watt played one series and Minkah Fitzpatrick two. Patrick Peterson was in the game until the second quarter, and inside linebacker Cole Holcomb played much of the first half.

Booting up

Based on the deployment of specialists, Pressley Harvin III appears to have won the punting competition against Braden Mann.

The Steelers only punted once in the first half, and Harvin, the third-year punter, got the nod. Punting from the Falcons 38, Harvin deftly dropped the ball at the 3 where Dez Fitzpatrick caught it in the air.

Harvin put all six of his punts this preseason inside the 20-yard line.

Mann, who spent three seasons with the New York Jets, was claimed off waivers by the Steelers in April.