1. Steelers trade OG/C Kendrick Green
No doubt the biggest surprise Steelers roster move just before the deadline was miraculously shipping Kendrick Green to the Houston Texans in exchange for a future Day 3 draft pick. While this selection is just a 6th-rounder in the 2025 NFL Draft, fans are still shocked that Pittsburgh was able to get any draft capital out of a player who looked so bad each of the past two summers.
Green simply never panned out for the Steelers. Mike Tomlin tried his best to experiment with him and make him work as a guard or a center, but at the end of the day, he lacked core strength and the ability to anchor against bigger and stronger defensive linemen.
Everyone and their mother predicted that Kendrick Green would be a roster cut. The offensive line for the Steelers is deeper than it has been in years, and it appeared there was no room left for him. The window of opportunity for Green to make the team as the final offensive lineman opened up ever so briefly when Kevin Dotson was traded, but it immediately slammed shut when Dotson was sent packing to Houston.
Fans are loving the aggressiveness of Omar Khan and the new-look Steelers front office, but even this trade caught us off guard. Trading Kendrick Green for draft capital just before the deadline was no doubt the biggest surprise from the Pittsburgh Steelers on cutdown day.