The 53-man roster cut deadline took place on Tuesday night, and a former Illinois offensive lineman was on the chopping block.
It was announced on Tuesday that the Buffalo Bills have released four-year NFL veteran and former Illini offensive lineman, Kendrick Green.
Green is currently entering his fifth season in the NFL. He was drafted out of Illinois in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In year one, Green started 15 games for Pittsburgh. He then sat out 2022 with injury. In August 2023, Green was traded to the Houston Texans for a sixth-round draft pick.
After two seasons with Houston, where Green saw 21 games and four starts, he was trying to latch on to the Bills franchise. That path has now come to an end.
Kendrick Green will surely get another chance with an NFL team
Green’s performance did take a hit last season. Pro Football Focus had him with one of the worst pass-blocking grades of 19.4 among all guards in the NFL. His run blocking grade of 62.1 was middle of the pack, though.
I don’t think Green will be a free agent for too long. He is an experienced NFL offensive lineman with 19 total starts under his belt. He is still a few years from 30 years old, too. He has a lot left in the tank, and an NFL franchise is always looking for depth on the offensive line.
I would bet Green lands with an NFL team for the 2025 campaign. Hopefully, this isn’t the end of the road for the former Illini star.