Chuks Okorafor expresses regret over renewing his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In the aftermath of their season-ending defeat to the Buffalo Bills, numerous Pittsburgh Steelers players face an uncertain future with the team as they head into the offseason. One player experiencing this uncertainty is offensive lineman Chuks Okorafor, who had inked a new three-year deal with the team before the 2022 season and currently holds the eighth-largest cap hit on the 2023 roster.
Despite his contractual commitment, Okorafor expressed a clear sentiment amidst the uncertainty – had he known that rookie Broderick Jones would replace him as the starting tackle, he might not have chosen to return to Pittsburgh. Reflecting on the situation, Okorafor stated, “If I had known that was going to be the case, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to come back here. But at this point, there’s nothing I can really do about it. It’s kind of – I don’t really know what I can say about it.”
Okorafor, who started the first seven games of the regular season, found himself benched for a Week 9 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, with Jones taking over. Okorafor revealed that his demotion was a consequence of an on-field incident during the previous week’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Despite the challenges, Jones, the Steelers’ 2023 first-round pick from Georgia, performed well and maintained his starting position at right tackle throughout the season. When asked about the possibility of returning to Pittsburgh next season, Okorafor remained non-committal, stating, “I have no clue what’s going to happen next year. I wish I could tell you now it’s up to me, my agent, and the [front office].”
While uncertain about his future, Okorafor maintains confidence in his abilities as a starter in the league and expresses a desire to find a place where he can contribute, whether with the Steelers or elsewhere. “That’s the plan,” he affirmed. “I feel like I’m young, I have a lot of ball left in me, but I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
