The Pittsburgh Steelers made a switch at right tackle in Week Nine on Thursday Night Football against the Tennessee Titans, inserting rookie first-round pick Broderick Jones into the starting lineup and benching veteran Chukwuma Okorafor.
Head coach Mike Tomlin stated after the game that he felt the Steelers needed a spark and that’s why they made with a change. But Okorafor revealed after the game that he was benched by the Steelers due to something he said on the field on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to video via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers beat writer Brian Batko followed up Adams’s tweet by reporting that Okorafor stated he “acted out” in a way that a veteran in his sixth season shouldn’t have on the field late in the game.
What, exactly, Okorafor said on the field last Sunday in the 20-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars is unclear, but it sounds like it wasn’t exactly a performance-based change or something the Steelers did looking for a spark.
Okorafor has had a rough 2023 season, allowing 11 pressures and two sacks on the season, including one sack on Sunday against the Jaguars on the second snap of the game for the Black and Gold.
Through the first seven games of the season prior to Thursday night’s benching, Okorafor graded out at a 60.8 overall from Pro Football Focus, including a 60.4 in pass protection and a 61.3 as a run blocker. He had been called for seven penalties on the season, too, with four accepted.
Jones, in his first start at right tackle, played quite well, helping the Steelers rush for 155 yards and a touchdown, averaging 5.5 yards per carry in a 20-16 come-from-behind win at Acrisure Stadium.
We’ll see if the benching of Okorafor on a short week was just a one-week thing to send a message to the veteran or if the Steelers have made the change for good. Jones provided the spark Tomlin stated that the Steelers were looking for though, which should be a sign he’s the guy moving forward at right tackle.
