Chukwuma Okorafor was signed by the New England Patriots in the hopes of helping to lock down the left tackle spot for the next campaign.
The experiment ran for twelve performances.
Just before the Pats’ Week 2 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, on Saturday, Okorafor was placed on the exempt/left squad list after being benched early in the team’s season-opening victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In his place, offensive lineman Michael Jordan has been added to the team.
According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Okorafor informed the squad that “he was leaving.”
OT Chukwuma Okorafor informed the Patriots he was leaving, per source.
This is not a situation like the one with Matt Corral last season when the QB left without notice.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) September 14, 2024
The MassLive Sports In addition, Okorafor is doubting his future, according to Karen Guregian.
Per source, Chuks Okorafor was placed on the Exempt/Left squad list because he's reconsidering if he still wants to play football. The team has been in touch with his representatives. Okorafor had signed a one-year deal with a base value of $4 million with the Patriots.
— Karen Guregian (@kguregian) September 14, 2024
It has been claimed by veteran Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss that Okorafor won’t play for the team again this season.
For those wondering what this means, the Patriots receive a roster exemption for Okorafor until his status is finalized. They’ll roll with 52 for now and likely sign Michael Jordan to the 53-man roster early next week.
Opinion: Okorafor won’t play for Patriots again this year. https://t.co/f9NLMP5ZZt
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 14, 2024
All of this is disturbing and significant since Okorafor’s tenure as a starter with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his former team, came to an end after he was said to have “acted out” and questioned the play-calling of the team after a midseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was replaced in the starting lineup the following week.
Okorafor’s $4 million, one-year deal with the Patriots may have been worth up to $8 million with incentives and bonuses.
Crucial to the Chicago Bears’ recovery of Caleb Williams in Week 2.
Caleb Williams’ first career start with the Chicago Bears did not go as well as he or the fans had hoped. In his debut, Williams failed to complete 50% of his throws and did not gain more than 100 yards through the air. That can be worrisome, but most rookies find it difficult to adjust to the NFL right away. It would have been preferable for the Bears to have recognized this sooner and given the rookie a little more support.
The team must find a run game as their first priority. The notion that their team can run the ball helps every quarterback because it makes the defense adjust how it plays and frequently pushes an extra safety into the box, which can create opportunities for deep passes.
Is there any way the Chicago Bears could simplify Caleb Williams’ life?
They had 16 carries for their running backs and 29 throw attempts for quarterback Caleb Williams. They should relieve some of Williams’s current burden, but that should be what we see from him when he is a seasoned veteran.
Their running backs must participate in the passing game. The only other back with a pass catch was Velus Jones Jr. D’Andre Swift did not catch a pass; he was mostly signed for his passing ability.
Despite being 5-6 when throwing screen passes versus Tennessee, the Bears only gained 14 yards on those plays, which put them in 26th place in terms of yards per attempt. It was strange that there were so many attempts made to the outside world, or even to Gerald Everett. The group must send Swift a few urgent dump-offs.
It will help Williams get into the rhythm of the game and get a few simple throws that can result in yards for Swift.
While it’s understandable that we all want Caleb Williams to be a hero, it’s asking too much for a rookie to go out there and fling the ball all over the field. Start him off with some short passes and rapid passes to boost his confidence, then grow from there. This must get underway against the Houston Texans.
