It takes a major mess up to be a tenured starter with proven production and a recently signed contract to be released.
But for Chuks Okorafor, that happened with him and the Steelers last month.
But per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Okorafor has already found his next team:
Okorafor Signs With New Engalnd
The #Patriots beef up their tackle spot, agreeing to terms with former #Steelers starter Chukwuma Okorafor, source said. Plenty of starting experience.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 7, 2024
Okorafor was drafted in the third round out of Western Michigan in 2018. He started at right tackle for the Steelers from 2020-2023, even earning a three-year contract extension in 2022 given his play over his rookie contract.
But when the Steelers offense was clearly not firing on all cylinders last year, Okorafor was benched ahead of the Thursday night game against the Titans in Week 9 following some comments he made about the offense and Matt Canada.
That would be the beginning of the end for Okorafor, leaving him to regret re-signing with Pittsburgh in the first place:
https://twitter.com/explore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1747328427693048008%7Ctwgr%5E35d556c202318323ae9e31973fd015e4271b33c0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fatozsports.com%2Fpittsburgh%2Fsteelers-chuks-okorafor-patriots-signing%2F
Okorfaor was released the day after the Super Bowl last month, with Pittsburgh not waiting a second longer to keep him on the team and eating his salary as an early termination dead money charge worth a little over $3m.
But Okorfaor was always going to find work. 26-year-old tackles with proven production and durability don’t hit the market often, even if they’re just above average or par for the course.
And while we will likely never know what exactly Okorafor said, to be benched and then cut for some comments, boy it makes you wonder.
