Steelers’ Chuks Okorafor Breaks Silence on Week 9 Benching

Getty Head coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers benched starting right tackle Chuks Okorafor in Week 9.

The decision for the Pittsburgh Steelers to move offensive coordinator Matt Canada from the coach’s box to the sidelines received the most attention, but it wasn’t the only change the Steelers made ahead of Week 9.

Against the Tennessee Titans, the Steelers also made a switch at right tackle, starting rookie Broderick Jones instead of Chuks Okorafor.

The change appeared to work well. The Steelers offensive line opened up holes for the running game, which posted a season-high 166 yards in Week 9.

After the game, Okorafor explained why he didn’t start against the Titans.

“I am healthy. It was just something I said,” Okorafor told reporters, according to TribLive’s Chris Adamski. “I kind of had a … just the way the game was going last week, I kind of said stuff that I shouldn’t say.

“I just, being in Year 6, I can’t like act out the way I was acting out.”

Steelers’ Chuks Okorafor Says He was Benched for ‘Stuff That Happened Last Week’

Switching a backup left tackle to right tackle on a short week isn’t typically a good idea. But apparently Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin found it necessary.

Okorafor told the media after Pittsburgh’s 20-16 victory against the Titans that Tomlin notified him on October 31 that he wouldn’t start in Week 9.

“I talked to Coach T, we already had our talk, and he said it was nothing to do with [the quality of] my play on the field,” Okorafor said, according to Adamski. “It was stuff that happened last week toward the end of the game. I am not sure what is going to happen. We will have to see. Hopefully I can come back and play in another game.”

Okorafor dressed in Week 9. But the benching resulted in Okorafor playing just 1 snap as an extra offensive lineman in the fourth quarter.

In his place, Jones made his second NFL start and first start at right tackle. The new offensive line combination worked well, as the Steelers averaged 5.5 yards per carry and didn’t allow a sack.

Who Will Start at Right Tackle for Steelers in Week 10?

Pittsburgh’s plan is for Jones to be the team’s starting left tackle for a long time. That was obvious when the Steelers traded up to No. 14 overall in the 2023 NFL draft to land Jones.

Adamski speculated that the Steelers switched Jones to right tackle in Week 9 because he was the most capable of playing on the opposite side on short notice.

“It’s really not a big adjustment for me,” Jones said about switching to right tackle. “Just because I feel like I am a natural athlete just being able to play both sides, I feel like that is a plus for me and for the team.”

With the amount of success the running game experienced with Jones at right tackle, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Steelers keep him there against the Green Bay Packers in Week 10.

The Steelers eclipsed their previous season high in rushing by 52 yards versus the Titans.

Okorafor shared that Tomlin made him no promises when he told him he wasn’t starting in Week 9.

“I hope I am back out there with the guys,” he said. “But who knows what’s going to happen?”

Before November 2, Okorafor had started at right tackle in 55 of the previous 57 games for the Steelers.