The Chukwuma Okorafor experiment appears to be over for the New England Patriots.
On Saturday, New England placed Okorafor on the exempt/left squad list, meaning he won’t play in Sunday’s home game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Subsequent reporting indicates Okorafor, signed in the offseason to be the team’s top left tackle, won’t play again for the Patriots.
Let’s go over what the developments mean for the Okorafor, New England’s offensive line, and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf.
What’s Going on With Chukwuma Okorafor?
Okorafor began the summer as New England’s projected top left tackle. He initially showed promise but struggled with procedural penalties and pass protection, and eventually saw work at right tackle, his primary position. Along the way, rumors indicated Okorafor was an enigma behind the scenes and resistant to switching to left tackle.
Nevertheless, Okorafor started at left tackle in Week 1 — and it didn’t go well. The 27-year-old was benched after 12 dreadful snaps and didn’t play again in the Patriots’ season-opening win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Head coach Jerod Mayo hinted at work-ethic issues when asked about Okorafor the next day.
Credit to the Patriots for pulling LT Chukwuma Okorafor for Vederian Lowe mid-drive. They probably don't win if that move isn't made. This couldn't keep happening. pic.twitter.com/hAmq01dT3X
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) September 9, 2024
Okorafor practiced all week as the No. 2 left tackle behind Lowe. Then, on Saturday, he was placed on the always-mysterious exempt/left squad list, meaning he won’t count against the 53-man roster until his situation is resolved.
So, what’s going on?
The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed reported that Okorafor told the Patriots he was leaving the team. MassLive’s Karen Guregian added that Okorafor is “frustrated with his play” and is “reconsidering if he still wants to play football.”
Ultimately, it would be a surprise to see Okorafor remain in New England.
“Sources close to the situation (are) not expecting him to play for the Patriots this season,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote.
Mayo cast further doubt on Okorafor’s Patriots future during a pregame 98.5 The Sports Hub interview on Sunday.
“I had a conversation with Chuks,” Mayo said. “First, it had nothing to do with football. I called him; it had everything to do with the man. I wanted to make sure he was good, in a good head space, and, really … taking into consideration if this is what he wanted to do.
“But, once again, I look at these as long-term relationships, and care more about the individual than anything else.”
Okorafor signed a one-year, $4 million contract during the offseason with $3.125 million guaranteed. Reiss suggested that Okorafor and the Patriots could negotiate to determine how much of the guaranteed money Okorafor would receive.
We could learn more about Okorafor’s situation on Sunday afternoon during Mayo’s postgame news conference.
Who Are the New England Patriots’ Other Tackle Options?
Okorafor’s departure leaves the Patriots concerningly thin at offensive tackle.
Lowe and Mike Onwenu will start at left and right tackle, respectively, on Sunday. And the Patriots should feel relatively good about that pairing, as Lowe showed real improvement throughout the summer. New England also appears set at the three interior spots.
But what if Lowe or Onwenu suffers an injury?
Rookie third-rounder Caedan Wallace will enter Sunday as the top backup. He played both tackle spots during training camp but primarily has focused on the right side. Wallace also saw 18 snaps as a jumbo tight end in the season opener.
The #Patriots running duo behind Caedan Wallace and Austin Hooper/Hunter Henry, and Rhamondre Stevenson tormenting the Bengals' secondary (mostly Dax Hill)
Mondre has such a great feel for how and when to bounce these runs pic.twitter.com/RbolaMLQGz
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) September 9, 2024
The Patriots also have veterans Demontrey Jacobs and Zach Thomas, both of whom were claimed off waivers after roster cutdowns.
Thomas is tricky, as he’s listed as a tackle on the official roster and has tackle experience but has played guard since joining the Patriots.
Thomas and Jacobs both were inactive in Week 1.
The only practice squad tackle is Caleb Jones, who’s a 6-foot-9 developmental project. New England likely will add more tackle depth next week.
PFN Analysis: Okorafor Represents Eliot Wolf’s First Big Loss As De Facto GM
The jury is out on Wolf’s first offseason as de facto general manager of the Patriots. It’s too early to judge his first draft class, his emphasis on re-signing internal players, and his decision not to overpay for someone like Calvin Ridley.
But the Okorafor signing? That’s a fail.
In fairness to Wolf, there weren’t any no-doubt top left tackles available in free agency, and such players are rarely available in trades. And you can’t fault him for using a first-round pick on a quarterback (Drake Maye) and a second-round pick on a receiver (Ja’Lynn Polk).
However, the Patriots entered the offseason with left tackle as arguably the second-biggest need behind the quarterback position. Wolf addressed the need by bargain shopping for Okorafor, who spent the last four seasons as a right tackle and was benched midway through his final campaign in Pittsburgh.
“If the season started tomorrow, I think it would be Okorafor,” Wolf said in April when asked to identify New England’s top left tackle.
Okorafor’s work ethic was questioned during training camp, and now we know he’s not fully committed to football. Wolf and the rest of New England’s front office should’ve done a better job vetting Okorafor’s professionalism and willingness to endure a tough, physical training camp. That much is clear.
Another second guess: Not trading up into the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Patriots ultimately settled for Wallace in the third round. And the Penn State product still could turn into an above-average left tackle.
Why couldn’t New England have traded up for BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia, who now is the starting left tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs?
Kansas City traded up with the San Francisco 49ers to select Suamataia five spots ahead of Wallace, giving up the No. 64 and No. 173 picks to take the BYU standout at No. 63. New England had the ammunition to make such a trade.
That said, the Patriots had other needs, and you can’t solve every problem in one offseason. But Wolf and company surely would feel better about their left tackle situation had they been aggressive for someone like Suamataia rather than settling for Okorafor.
It’s just one loss, and overall, the early returns on Wolf’s first offseason are positive. But, in hindsight, signing Okorafor was a big whiff.