Things certainly didn’t end in the best way possible between the Pittsburgh Steelers and veteran offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, but that didn’t stop head coach Mike Tomlin from praising his former right tackle Monday.
Okorafor, who played in 77 career games with the Steelers, starting 59 of them, was benched midway through the 2023 season following a sideline incident late in the Week 8 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. That benching led to rookie Broderick Jones being inserted into the starting lineup for good, keeping Okorafor on the bench.
After the 2023 season, Okorafor was released on Feb. 12, ending his six-year Steelers tenure. He signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots March 7.
At the NFL Owners Meetings in Orlando Monday while speaking to reporters at the AFC coaches breakfast, Tomlin spoke highly of Okorafor, a third-round pick by the Steelers in the 2018 NFL Draft.
“They’re getting a very versatile, capable guy, a guy that’s starter-capable at both left and right tackle, and a guy that’s accountable and professional,” Tomlin said of the Patriots signing Okorafor, according to video via Steelers.com.
That last line from Tomlin certainly raises an eyebrow.
Okorafor was benched for voicing his frustrations with the play-calling late in the game against the Jaguars, according to the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac.
“Okorafor was upset the offense was using the same plays despite trailing the entire game, including 17-3 in the third quarter. It is unclear to whom Okorafor directly vented his anger and what else might have been said or done,” Dulac wrote for the PG.
That frustration led to a sideline outburst and ultimately caused him to lose his job for good. A month later, the Steelers fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada following more offensive ineptitude.
Even after the incident, Okorafor made some interesting comments, stating that if he’d have known how things were going to go in 2023, he wouldn’t have chosen to re-sign with the Steelers. Those comments in January after the Wild Card loss didn’t make much sense, considering he re-signed with the Steelers ahead of the 2022 season, but his frustrations were understandable.
Behind the scenes, Okorafor didn’t cause much fuss. He went about his job, was prepared and able to fulfill his duties, which is likely what Tomlin is referring to. But he wasn’t exactly professional in that setting on the sidelines in Week 8, which caused his benching.
He gets a fresh start in New England though. Hopefully it works out for him.
