Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman and 2018 NFL Draft pick Chukwuma Okorafor has apparently quit his new team, the New England Patriots.
The Patriots announced on Saturday that Okorafor has been placed on the exempt/left squad list, which is pretty self explanatory. Okorafor signed a one-year, $ 4 million deal with the Pats this offseason and got the start in Week 1 but was benched after playing just 12 snaps.
That is apparently what led to his quitting the team. In those 12 snaps, all of which came at left tackle (six pass-blocking), Okorafor gave up three pressures and one QB hit, so it’s pretty understandable why the Pats pulled him.
A former third-round pick of the Steelers in 2018, Okorafor spent six seasons with the Steelers, appearing in 77 games at right tackle, with 59 of those contests being starts. He landed a considerable three-year, $ 29.2 million contract extension after his rookie deal, but it didn’t pan out.
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Okorafor is no stranger to getting benched. He began last season as the Steelers’ starter at right tackle before he was replaced by 2023 first-round pick, Broderick Jones, who looks set to get benched himself ahead of the Week 2 game against the Denver Broncos, as rookie Troy Fautanu is expected to start.
The Steelers will square off against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Week 2, while the Patriots will meet the Seattle Seahawks.
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