The writing’s on the wall for Pittsburgh Steelers RT Chukwuma Okorafor. With a significant roster bonus due in March that the team will almost certainly decline, Okorafor has played his final down in Pittsburgh. And really, his final snaps as a starter came months ago. Benched following the team’s Week Eight loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars for reportedly saying something that put him in Mike Tomlin’s doghouse, Okorafor lost out to rookie RT Broderick Jones the rest of the way, only occasionally appearing as a tackle eligible.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, one day after the Steelers’ season came to an end, Okorafor expressed regret for re-signing with the Steelers. He told reporters he wouldn’t have come back had he known his year would’ve ended on the bench.
“If I knew that was going to be the case, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to come back here,” Okorafor said via The Trib’s Chris Adamski. “At this point, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Okorafor served as the team’s starting right tackle from 2020-22, and for the first half of 2023. He signed an extension with the team in March 2022, a three-year deal worth $29.25 million. At the time, it felt like a curious decision, a sizable amount of money for an average right tackle who was durable but lacked a defining trait and struggled as a run blocker.
Still, he opened the year as the team’s unquestioned starting right tackle. But he was benched for Jones for the team’s Week Nine game against the Tennessee Titans. There’s been no verification on what Okorafor said to send him to the bench but it’s believed he was critical of either the Steelers’ coaching staff or their play calling. After being sent to the bench, he logged just nine offensive snaps, all coming as a tackle eligible.
Due a $4 million roster bonus by March 22, it’s highly unlikely the Steelers pick up his option. They’ll save $8.75 million in cap savings, prior to roster displacement, if he is released before that date. Okorafor said he’s unsure what his future holds in Pittsburgh.
“I have no clue what’s going to happen next year. I wish I could tell you know. It’s up to me and my agent and the [Steelers],” he said.
Based on his comments and his contract math, it’s nearly certain the team will release Okorafor by then and he’ll play somewhere else in 2024. For Pittsburgh, Jones will serve as one of the Steelers’ two starting offensive tackles, though it’s not clear if he’ll go back to the left side or stay on the right. The team has also been high on OT Dan Moore Jr., but he’s reached his ceiling and is far from a franchise offensive tackle.
There’s also OL Dylan Cook, who shined during the summer and captured a roster spot though he didn’t log an offensive snap all season and spent most weeks inactive. Pittsburgh will likely need to add at least one offensive tackle this offseason and could take a swing at an early draft pick just as it did in 2023.
