It didn’t take very long for an NFL starting offensive tackle to find work. Former Pittsburgh Steelers starting right tackle Chuks Okorafor has signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots that could be worth up to $8.35 million.
Okorafor was the Steelers third-round pick in 2018 out of Northwestern. He assumed the starting right tackle job in 2020 and was there for three full seasons. But midway through the 2023 season, Okorafor got benched in favor of Broderick Jones after Okorafor was overheard trashing the team on the sidelines during a game.
New Patriots OT Chukwuma Okorafor signed a 1-year deal with a base value of $4M and a maximum value of $8.25M. That max value is just below what he could have made in the final year of his deal with the Steelers.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 8, 2024
Okorafor definitely wasn’t the worst offensive lineman on the team last season but his release was as much about saving money as anything else. The Steelers still need to decide if Dan Moore Jr. is a starter or not but with a more fiscally conservative contract, Pittsburgh is willing to keep him around. Okorafor should compete for a start job immediately with the Patriots.
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