From an outsider’s perspective, it may feel like a player’s decision where to sign comes down to money and role. How much is the contract worth? What are the guarantees? Will I start, will I rotate, will I be a backup? But there’s more layers than that. For Larry Ogunjobi, a key reason why he re-signed in Pittsburgh, inking a three-year deal, was the chance to finally call a place home.
“I think in any great field in a great career you want to be consistent,” Ogunjobi said Tuesday via 93.7 The Fan. “I think that’s the key to greatness, it’s consistency. So being able to be in a consistent space and to build upon what you laid the foundation on the year before is super important.”
Since his rookie deal with the Cleveland Browns expired in 2020, Ogunjobi has bounced from place to place. After becoming a free agent for the first time, he signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. He had a nice year in 2021, racking up a career-high seven sacks, but a foot injury greeted him with a cold free agent market, a mega-deal with the Bears falling through after a failed physical. Instead, he accepted another one-year deal with Pittsburgh last June, starting 16 games with 48 tackles.
It wasn’t until this offseason that Ogunjobi found some security, inking a three-deal worth nearly $30 million. He’ll finally enter a year not wondering where he’ll be the following offseason like he did in 2020, 2021, and 2022. While contracts are far from guaranteed, this deal offers some peace of mind and oh yeah, a pretty solid payday, too.
“It’s a blessing. You thank God every day for the opportunity. To play a sport I love. Take care of my family.”
Ogunjobi took care of his family in a big way last month, buying his parents their dream home.
He’ll look to take care of the Steelers’ defensive line this fall. And hopefully take care of some quarterbacks too, putting them on the grass more often than he did in 2022 when he finished with just 1.5 sacks. Being and staying healthy will help achieve that goal after being limited last spring and dealing with nagging injuries throughout the season.
