The Patriots plan to release veteran offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, according to an ESPN report.
Okorafor left the organization in September after getting benched early in a win at Cincinnati. The Patriots subsequently placed Okorafor on the reserve/left squad list, which ended his season. He now intends to return to football and find a new team.
Okorafor, 27, was the Pats’ first external free-agent signing last spring, when the team planned to start him at left tackle. A career right tackle who previously spent six seasons in Pittsburgh, Okorafor failed to make the transition and allowed three pressures in a dozen snaps at the position in Cincinnati. He received a Pro Football Focus grade of 0.0 out of 100 for that performance.
In September, a source told the Herald’s Doug Kyed that Okorafor had “checked out mentally over the past month or so” and informed the team of his departure. Okorafor’s absence forced Patriots to start backups Vederian Lowe and Demontrey Jacobs at the position for most of the year.
Former Pats coach Jerod Mayo spoke about Okorafor’s surprising exit in September, but declined to offer specifics.
“Chuks left the building. He’s not with the team,” Mayo said. “He’s doing some thinking, but at this point in time, he’s not with the team, so I don’t want to get into that. I told you guys I did give him a call. We had a good call. It had nothing to do with football or a roster spot; it had everything to do with just making sure that he was OK.”
Okorafor had been scheduled to hit free agency next month. He is now free to sign with any team.
The Patriots’ remaining offensive tackles are Lowe, Caedan Wallace and Mike Onwenu, who finished the season at right guard. Jacobs is an exclusive rights free agent the team can retain by tendering him a 1-year, minimum contract this offseason.
Originally Published: