From the moment it was signed in March of 2022, Chukwuma Okorafor’s contract extension felt shaky. It wasn’t a mega-contract, but solid money to someone cemented as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting right tackle. That is, until he wasn’t. Okorafor fell into Mike Tomlin’s doghouse, got benched, and never gained his job back from Broderick Jones, who helped elevate the Steelers’ running game to where it needed to go.
It’s clear why the Steelers inked him to a three-year deal. They felt they had no other choice. To understand that is to reflect on the situation they were in, completely rebuilding their offensive line and not willing or able to spend the capital on a new right tackle along with all their other needs.