Tight end Ladarius Green’s time with the Steelers got off to a bad start as offseason ankle surgery kept him from getting on the field in training camp and during the first half of the season.
Green was signed in hopes that he would help fill the role left vacant by Heath Miller’s retirement, but the team had to look in other directions while Green recovered. While that wasn’t the plan, the Steelers survived to remain in the mix for the division title and Green finally made it into a game in Week 10.
Recent results have shown Green was worth the wait. He has nine catches for 177 yards and a touchdown in the last two games, giving the Steelers another valuable piece in the passing game. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said that touchdown came on a play the team had yet to practice with Green, which he takes as a sign that their chemistry is heading in the right direction.
“For me to call it and him to execute it flawlessly speaks volumes for the work he has put in mentally,” Roethlisberger said, via the team’s website. “To not get that rep physically, but mentally be ready to do it, able to do it, be the actor, the fake block and then make the play. That is just awesome on his part. ... I have all of the faith in the world in him and what he can do. He is a weapon for us.”
With Martavis Bryant suspended, Markus Wheaton on injured reserve and Sammie Coates dealing with a hand injury, the Steelers have had a hard time finding consistent complements to Antonio Brown this season. Green has shown signs of changing that the last two weeks and more of the same will serve the Steelers well as they push for the playoffs.