Former Pittsburgh Steelers player leaves new team after being benched

Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor was placed on the reserve/left team list by the New England Patriots after being benched in his first game with the team. Vederian Lowe filled in for Okorafor, but the former Western Michigan product has apparently since left the team after such a drastic move in the first week of the season.

Okorafor signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in the offseason after the Steelers released him two years into a three-year contract. He had issues with illegal formation penalties and was penalized for them four times during the preseason. Okorafor was penalized again in the opening game, which led to him being benched by new head coach Jerod Mayo.

Selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the 27-year-old tackle has had a successful NFL career thus far, starting at both right and left tackle. His skills would be welcomed by teams across the NFL, including the Steelers, who need an athletic, versatile backup tackle, so if Okorafor wants to find work and leave New England, he could have a real chance to do so.

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