Steelers offensive lineman regrets re-signing with team

The Steelers’ 2023 season didn’t go how most of their players likely imagined, or at least hoped. But that can especially be said for one of Pittsburgh’s veterans who didn’t see the field for half of the season.

Chukwuma Okorafor began the year as the team’s starting right tackle, a position he held since 2020. His job felt safe even after the Steelers used their 2023 first-round pick on Broderick Jones, whose primary position is left tackle. But that’s not how things played out.

Pittsburgh’s 2018 third-round pick was benched in Week 8 for reportedly “acting out.” Head coach Mike Tomlin never elaborated on Okorafor’s benching but said his actions were a “significant reason.”

For the rest of the season, Jones took over for Okorafor at right tackle even though he was making significantly less.

Okorafor signed a three-year, $29.25 million contract with the Steelers in 2022, a decision he has come to regret.

“If I knew that was going to be the case, I probably wouldn’t have chose to come back here,” Okorafor said. “But at that point, there wasn’t anything I could do about it.”

Okorafor has no idea what the future holds, but he’s surely hoping he isn’t with Pittsburgh in 2024 as he hopes to start once again in the NFL.

“I have no idea what’s going to happen next year. I wish I could tell you now,” Okorafor added. “I think I’m young. I feel like I’ve got a lot of ball left in me. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

That’s certainly a scenario that could play out, however. Okorafor is heading into the final year of his contract and cutting him would save the team $8.8 million with just a $3.083 million dead cap penalty.

If another team is interested in the 26-year-old, the Steelers could attempt to trade him as well. They likely wouldn’t receive much compensation given his contract but something is better than nothing.

Okorafor is hoping he gets that fresh start elsewhere. Whether he gets to choose where that would be is to be determined, but everything is on the table with a long offseason ahead.