Things got even worse for former Pittsburgh Steelers player and current New England Patriots offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor.
The veteran, who was benched after the Patriots made just 12 appearances at left tackle in Week 1, was placed on the waiver/left team list on Saturday, according to NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo.
The exempt/left-list roster allows a team to open a roster spot without releasing a player, so Okorafor will remain a member of the Patriots for the time being. It is unclear why he was placed on the exempt/left-list roster.
Okorafor signed a one-year contract with the Patriots on March 11 after six seasons in Pittsburgh. The Steelers released Okorafor on February 12.
Okorafor, a third-round pick of the Steelers in the 2018 NFL Draft, started 59 games for the Steelers and signed a second contract with Pittsburgh after signing his rookie contract. He was consistently the Steelers’ starting right tackle, but the Steelers traded him on Feb. 12 after trading him for rookie Broderick Jones in Week 9 of the 2023 season.
Okorafor’s benching in Pittsburgh followed reports that he made a comment on the Steelers’ game plan against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which raised doubts among the coaching staff and led to a substitution.
After the season, Okorafor said in a statement following the playoff loss to the Bills that he regretted signing a long-term deal with the Steelers in free agency ahead of the 2022 season.
He sought a fresh start in New England in the offseason, and said in May that he felt better coaching there than in Pittsburgh, but the better coaching didn’t seem to help him much, and he left the team after just 12 snaps in his first start for the Patriots.
Okorafor was cautioned three times for illegal formation in the Patriots’ final preseason game before being benched for the Patriots’ season-opening win over the Cincinnati Bengals, a practice the league is emphasizing again this season.
Now, after sitting on the bench, Okorafor is out of the team. It will be something to watch going forward.
