Clock is ticking for Steelers to sign OL Kendrick Green to rookie contract

Of the nine players in the Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 draft class, only offensive lineman Kendrick Green remains unsigned.

No need to fret, though — there’s still plenty of time.

If Green is not yet signed by Pittsburgh on August 10, a notice sent to NFL clubs from the player personnel department this week states the following:

If a Drafted Rookie has not signed with his club by this date, he cannot be traded to any other club in 2021, and may sign a Player Contract only with the drafting club until the day of the Draft in the 2022 League Year.

It’s not likely this scenario will come into play for Green and the Steelers, but it’s nevertheless an intriguing policy.

Unsigned rookies can participate in offseason activities, including upcoming Steelers training camp, as Green has been. There’s no telling why he hasn’t been signed, but one possibility is that his exact role is undefined. Camp should be an excellent indicator as to whether the Steelers believe Green will be a starter beginning Week 1 or if they’ll make him wait it out behind J.C. Hassenaur or B.J. Finney.

Perhaps the most probable reason for the holdup is that Green’s agent, Jason Bernstein of Clarity Football, is waiting to see how the contracts of other players drafted in a similar spot shake out. Only two players selected in the third round — Dyami Brown of the Washington Football Team and Nico Collins of the Houston Texans — have signed their deals.