Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi dealt with a foot injury for much of last season, so much so that he was barely a participant in practices throughout the year. Now that he’s getting healthy, Ogunjobi said it irked him having to play without practice time.
“Annoying,” Ogunjobi said via 93.7 The Fan when asked about playing without much practice. “But I think it was just where I was at. It’s an injury that for a lot of people can be hurting them. So just being able to do what I was able to do and now build off that is super important.”
Ogunjobi was still productive despite not practicing, providing a force in the run game for Pittsburgh’s defense. While he didn’t have the pass-rushing juice he has displayed at other points of his career, he was still an important cog in the Steelers’ front seven, so much so that the team awarded him with a new contract this offseason.
Now fully healthy, Ogunjobi should hopefully take another step forward this season for the Steelers. He’s still on the right side of 30, just recently turning 29 this past weekend, and now he has the expectations of a three-year, $28.75m contract to live up to.
With Pittsburgh bolstering the defensive line this offseason by adding Keeanu Benton, Breiden Fehoko and Armon Watts, the group will look a little bit different in 2023. Benton is likely going to start at nose tackle, while Watts and Fehoko will add depth. But Ogunjobi is going to be a steady presence now entering his second year with the team and healthier, he could end up being a Pro Bowl-quality talent.
The Steelers’ defense is one of the best in the league. It’ll be even better if Ogunjobi can generate pressure on the quarterback in addition to being the force he was in the run game in 2022.
With two elite pass rushers in Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt, having someone else who can generate consistent pressure on the interior would be huge, and Ogunjobi has been someone who can get to the quarterback in the past. If he can add to his 23 career sacks this season by tacking on at least three this season, the Steelers defense will be just fine.
