The New England Patriots made their first external signing of the Jerod Mayo era.
On Thursday night, the Patriots signed offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor to an undisclosed contract.
Okorafor started 59 of 77 games played in six seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former third-round pick missed just one snap throughout the 2022 campaign.
However, the Steelers benched the 6-foot-6, 320-pounder from Week 9 onward last season.
Okorafor said he was sidelined for “acting out.” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reportedly heard him complaining about the offense’s playcalling.
“I talked to Coach [Mike Tomlin] and he said it has nothing to do with my play on the field,” Okorafor told Corey Crisan of DK Pittsburgh Sports in November. “It was something that happened last week towards the end of the game.”
Per Pro Football Focus, Okorafor allowed two sacks and 11 pressures last season. He received a 62.6 grade in run blocking and a 60.7 grade in pass blocking.
The 26-year-old presents the first step toward New England revamping its offensive line this offseason. Left tackle Trent Brown is among the team’s unrestricted free agents.
Team reporter Evan Lazar said Okorafor’s signing will unlikely affect the team’s efforts to retain Mike Onwenu. He’s instead viewed as an improvement over free agent Riley Reiff and returning tackles Conor McDermott, Vederian Lowe, Andrew Stueber, and Calvin Anderson.
Only the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans have more cap space than the Patriots entering free agency, which officially opens on Wednesday afternoon.