The New York Giants made 2 offensive line moves on Friday, bringing in 1 former AFC starter and releasing a 3-time Super Bowl champion.
“The Giants signed veteran OL Kendrick Green to the practice squad and released OL Darian Kinnard,” Giants team reporter Dan Salomone wrote on his official X account.
Green started 15 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers as a rookie in 2021. Kinnard won 2 Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs and 1 with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Giants have signed Center Kendrick Green to the practice squad,” Giants Nation Show wrote on its official X account on Friday. “The 2021 3rd-round pick has 19 career starts.”
The Giants are 2-1 and host the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4.
“Kendrick Green has officially signed to the Giants’ practice squad,” USA Today’s Art Stapleton wrote on his official X account. “Was on the field earlier today. OL Darian Kinnard has been released.”
“Left tackle Andrew Thomas IS on the practice field today, but Giants center John Michael Schmitz is NOT,” New York Daily News Giants reporter Pat Leonard wrote on his official X account. “Bryan Hudson working with the 1s, and team has signed G/C Kendrick Green to the practice squad (who I’ve been told is a practice squad level player who is better at guard) Not clear what is happening here yet with JMS.”
Green Earned All-American Honors at Illinois
Green, 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds, was an All-American and All-Big Ten pick in his final season at Illinois in 2020 before the Steelers selected him in the 3rd round (No. 87 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Although Green started 15 games as a rookie in 2021, he played only 4 games over the next 2 seasons. He was moved from center to guard in 2022, was a healthy game-day scratch for all 17 regular-season games, and was traded to the Houston Texans before the 2023 season.
In 2023, Green played just 4 games before suffering a torn meniscus. He played all 17 regular-season games for the Texans in 2024 before splitting 2025 between the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns.
Darian Kinnard Made NFL History to Start Career
Kinnard, 6-foot-5 and 322 pounds, had 1 of the great 3-season runs in NFL history from 2022 to 2024.
Drafted by the Chiefs in the 5th round (No. 145 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Kentucky, Kinnard won consecutive Super Bowls with the Chiefs in 2022 and 2023.
Kinnard signed with the Eagles before the final week of the 2024 regular season and started the regular-season finale as the starters sat out. He stayed with the Eagles through their postseason run, which included a win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
As of the start of the 2026 season, Kinnard and Ken Norton Jr. are the only players in NFL history to win 3 consecutive Super Bowls, with Norton Jr. winning with the Dallas Cowboys in 1992 and 1993 and the San Francisco 49ers in 1994.
Giants Sign Former Steelers Starter & Cut 3-Time Super Bowl Champion