UPDATE: Per Karen Guregian of MassLive, Okorafor was placed on the exempt list because he’s still considering whether or not he wants to play football.
Things have gone from bad to worse for former Pittsburgh Steelers and current New England Patriots’ offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor.
After being benched in Week 1 by the Patriots following just 12 snaps at left tackle, the veteran was placed on the Exempt/Left Team list Saturday, the team announced today.
The exempt/left squad list opens up a roster spot for a team without releasing the player, so Okorafor remains a member of the Patriots for the time being. It’s unclear why he has been placed on the Exempt/Left Team list.
Okorafor signed a one-year deal with the Patriots on March 11 following six seasons in Pittsburgh. The Steelers released Okorafor on Feb. 12.
A former third-round pick by the Steelers in the 2018 NFL Draft, Okorafor went on to start 59 games with the Steelers and had signed a second contract with Pittsburgh following his rookie deal. He was consistently the Steelers’ starting right tackle, but on Feb. 12 the Steelers moved on from him after he was benched in Week 9 of the 2023 season by the Steelers for rookie Broderick Jones.
Okorafor’s benching in Pittsburgh came after he reportedly said something on the sideline regarding the Steelers’ game plan against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which upset coaches and led to the change.
Following the season, Okorafor stated to reports after the playoff loss to the Bills that he regretted signing a long-term deal with the Steelers ahead of the 2022 season in free agency.
He sought a fresh start in New England this offseason and stated back in May that he was getting better coaching in New England than he ever did in Pittsburgh, but that better coaching didn’t seem to help him much as the plug was pulled just 12 snaps into his first start with the Patriots.
Prior to being benched by the Patriots in the season-opening win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Okorafor was flagged three times for illegal formation in the Patriots’ final preseason game as the league continues to make that an emphasis this season.
Now, following his benching, Okorafor is away from the team. It’s something worth monitoring moving forward.
