Always looking to address the trenches, the Buffalo Bills signed G Kendrick Green to a one-year deal on Friday. Green comes to Buffalo after getting drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 3rd round of the 2021 NFL draft. After spending two seasons there, he was traded to the Houston Texans where he played until he finished his rookie contract this past season.
Having played 36 games with 19 starts allows Green to step in immediately should there be an injury to either the guard or center position. Experience like this is always valuable whether they earn a sterling spot or if they turn into a trade piece down the line. Brandon Beane has shown that there is never enough offensive lineman on his roster and signing Green is the latest example.
Read below for a full injury history of Kendrick Green and analysis.
Injury History
2021 Pittsburgh Steelers
Calf injury, Week 16, missed 3 games.
Green suffered a calf injury in the Week 16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He played in 62 percent of snaps before he was forced to exit. Unfortunately, he missed the next three games including the playoff loss to the Chiefs.
2022 Steelers
No publicly reported injuries.
2023 Houston Texans
Right knee meniscus tear, Week 4, missed 15 games.
Green suffered a right knee meniscus tear in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, suffering the injury at the very end of the game. Following an assessment, it was determined the best path forward for Green was to have the meniscus repaired which ended his season.
2024 Texans
No publicly reported injuries.
Buffalo Bills Injury Analysis
This is a fairly clean injury history for Green which is promising. Looking back at The Athletic’s The Beast by Dane Brugler, Green didn’t have any injury issues coming out of college. The injury luck appeared to follow Green to the pros which has afforded him plenty of opportunities to play.
Looking at the injuries, his calf injury was unfortunate but does not appear to be a concern as this was four seasons ago. He has also not had a recurrence of the injury and it appears to be a one-off issue. Normally calf strains can linger, but since this was at the end of the season, he was able to give his body the full rest it needed to recover.
As for his right knee meniscus tear, the key wording that is encouraging is that he had the meniscus repaired versus trimmed out. Repairing the meniscus has been the preferred method as of recently and provides better outcomes. Surgeons used to cut out the torn meniscus and this would lead to further joint degeneration and chronic issues including more tears. Keep in mind, the meniscus acts as a shock absorber for the knee. If there is less available padding, other structures need to take the brunt of the stress.
Due to his meniscus getting repaired, there have been studies that show upwards of 80 percent of patients show no signs of osteoarthritis changes over eight years. This was compared to 40 percent with meniscectomies. Those with repairs showed over a 95 percent return to play and prior level of performance, a good indicator for long term health.
Final Thoughts
Green’s injury history is rather insignificant. Despite missing 18 games over four seasons, this is an injury analysis that is of minimal concern. His long term health appears promising especially with the meniscus repaired versus trimmed out.
Green is far from a lock to make this roster, but his availability to be healthy strongly suggests that he will get his opportunities as injuries happen elsewhere. If his play in the preseason is steady, he may find himself on the roster but not play like the situation was in 2022 with Pittsburgh.
If Kendrick Green does not make the roster, it’s because of his talent and not because of his injury concerns.
I wish Kendrick Green the best of luck and to remain healthy this season.
Top Photo Credit: NFL.com
