Former Pittsburgh Steelers OT placed on the Left Squad list

The New England Patriots have placed former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor on the Exempt/Left Squad list, the team announced.

The move comes after the Patriots benched Okorafor early in their Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers' 2018 third-round draft pick was released this offseason after being benched midway through the 2023 season.

After being named the starter in Week 1, Okorafor played just 12 snaps before being benched. He was penalized three times for illegal lineup before being benched.

The released/waived player list means that Okorafor is no longer with the team and the Patriots can now open up a roster spot in his place. However, he remains a member of the Patriots and it is unknown how long his absence is expected to last.

Okorafor spent six seasons in Pittsburgh and started 59 games. After a battle with Zach Banner, Okorafor won the starting right tackle spot and remained in that role until Week 9 of the 2023 season, when the Steelers made a surprising change and made first-round pick Broderick Jones the starter.

After his team's playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, Okorafor told reporters that he would not have signed his long-term contract with Pittsburgh if he had known how things would turn out.

Don’t forget to bookmark Steelers OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, analysis and more.