Mike Onwenu Insurance? Patriots Sign Ex-Steelers Tackle

The Patriots are going watch each of their starting tackles from last season hit the open market this free-agency period, so they’ve gotten out ahead of things and added some insurance.

New England agreed to terms with former Pittsburgh Steelers starter Chukwuma Okorafor on Thursday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.

Okorafor, despite being on the open market prior to free agency opening up, is a fairly accomplished option for the Patriots. He spent six seasons in Pittsburgh, starting 59 of the 77 games he appeared in. The former third-round pick was released in February, freeing the Steelers from paying the remaining two years on a three-year, $29.25 million contract extension he signed in 2022.

He is just 26-years-old.

The Patriots, in essence, are protecting themselves from Mike Onwenu and Trent Brown’s potential departures, as both are scheduled to hit free agency on March 13. Onwenu is expected to cash in for himself while Brown’s return to New England might be more unlikely than a Tom Brady reunion.

He wasn’t exactly happy with the organization during the second half of last season.

It’s unknown what Okorafor’s contract looks like, but it can be expected it won’t have too much of an impact on the Patriots’ cap room. New England will look to continue adding on the offensive line, and recently picked up the option on another tackle, but this gives them a head start on rebuilding a unit decimated by injuries in recent seasons.