The New England Patriots grappled with issues in their tackle play throughout 2023, but took steps to address it by signing former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor on Thursday.
According to reports from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Okorafor and the Patriots have reached an agreement on contractual terms, although specific details of the contract for the 6-foot-6, 320-pound tackle have not been disclosed.
Okorafor previously held a three-year, $29.25 million contract with the Steelers spanning from 2022 to 2024, before being released in February. Prior to this, he had signed a four-year, $3.4 million entry-level contract. The Steelers drafted him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft from Western Michigan University.
Originally from Nigeria, Okorafor’s family relocated to the United States in 2010, where he emerged as a standout football player at Southfield High School in Southfield, Michigan. He was recruited by WMU, where he earned first-team All-American honors twice during his 39-game career.
The #Patriots & T Chukwuma Okorafor have agreed to terms on a deal #NFL #ForeverNE pic.twitter.com/CKzv1UW0f2
— The Al Report (@TheAlReport1) March 7, 2024
During his tenure with the Steelers, Okorafor was a mainstay on the field, starting 59 games out of 77 total games played, including two playoff appearances. He consistently logged between 94% and 100% of the offensive snap counts in four out of his six seasons with the team.
In the 2023 season, Okorafor started in seven out of the 14 games he played, seeing action in 50% of the snaps. However, his availability was hampered by injuries and a temporary benching last season. Nonetheless, Okorafor has generally demonstrated durability since he assumed a regular starting role in 2020.
Chukwuma Okorafor Explained Benching in 2023
In November 2023, despite not being listed on the injury report, Pittsburgh chose to bench Okorafor for a game against the Tennessee Titans. Okorafor disclosed that this decision stemmed from remarks he made during the previous game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I spoke with Coach T, and we had a conversation,” Okorafor explained to reporters. “He made it clear that the decision had nothing to do with my performance on the field. It was related to incidents that occurred last week towards the end of the game.”
Chuks Onorafor says he’s healthy and the reason for todays demotion was something he said on the field during the last game pic.twitter.com/9QdnWJOfju
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 3, 2023
“Yeah, I was shocked,” Okorafor admitted. “But I just had to step up and help Broderick get accustomed to everything. Brod’s versatility in playing both left and right tackle is a huge asset for him and the team.”
Broderick Jones was given the starting nod for the Titans game instead of Okorafor.
Chukwuma Okorafor: ‘I Knew Nothing About Football Before That’
Okorafor’s introduction to football came after his family’s relocation to the United States from Nigeria in 2010, as reported by Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley in 2018. Prior to that, he had grown up playing soccer and had no knowledge of American football. His first exposure to the sport came while watching the Super Bowl matchup between the Steelers and the Green Bay Packers.
“I knew nothing about football before that,” Okorafor recalled to Varley. “Nothing at all.”
However, once he tried his hand at football, Okorafor quickly developed a passion for the game. Initially starting out as a punter due to his size, Okorafor transitioned to playing tackle, as detailed by Varley in 2018.
Amid his successes at Southfield High School, Okorafor received offers from prestigious programs like Ohio State and Oklahoma. However, he ultimately chose to attend Western Michigan University (WMU) in his home state.
Western Michigan OL Chukwuma Okorafor takes off for the broad jump. #NFLCombine @NFLNetwork #LetsRide pic.twitter.com/wWWbTkVa1z
— Western Michigan Football (@WMU_Football) March 2, 2018
“It was something different, just being able to learn the plays and the techniques,” Okorafor reflected on his transition to football. “It took me a couple of months, or even a year or two, to really get used to it.”
In addition to adapting to the intricacies of football, Okorafor also had to acclimate to a new culture and a new country after his family relocated to Detroit.
“I would say it was more about adjusting to the culture, but I don’t consider it a huge difference,” Okorafor remarked.
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