Getty New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo.
The New England Patriots signed offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor in March 2024. Now, just over six months later, the team announced it has placed Okorafor on the Exempt/Left Squad.
“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,” MassLive’s Karen Guregian reported via X.
This is the second straight year the Patriots have placed a player on the list. Quarterback Matt Corral was placed on it in 2023, although the ways he and Okorafor departed the team differed.
“Chukwuma Okorafor informed the Patriots he was leaving, per source,” Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald wrote on September 14, adding: “This is not a situation like the one with Matt Corral last season when the QB left without notice.”
Does Chukwuma Okorafor Being on Exempt/Left Squad List Mean He’s Going to Retire?
Retirement is one possibility for the veteran offensive lineman. Another is a step away from the game to take time to consider his future and his options. Football is an incredibly taxing sport both mentally and physically, and it’s not unusual for players to put their health first and take a path that leads to early retirement.
According to the NFL’s official website, players on the Exempt/Left Squad list are players “who have left their team or stopped playing NFL football but have yet to submit retirement papers. This player does not count against a team’s roster limit or its salary cap.”
The Patriots inked the veteran OL to a one-year, $4 million deal, which will be voided if Okorafor elects to hang up his cleats.
Okorafor, who turned 27 on August 8, spent his first six seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played in 77 games and started 59. He started New England’s Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, but wasn’t on the roster Week 2. He wound up playing 12 snaps at left tackle, allowing a QB hit and 2 hurries, per Pro Football Focus.
Initially brought on to compete for a starting role at guard, Okorafor was likely going to provide depth at LT behind Vederian Lowe, who has been dealing with recent injuries.
What’s Up With Patriots’ LT Vederian Lowe?
Vederian Lowe just walked through the locker room with an IV in his arm
The team’s starting left tackle, Lowe had been dealing with an oblique injury throughout training camp and the preseason. He still played 52 snaps Week 1, surrendering a QB hit and 2 hurries.
Lowe started the Pats’ Week 2 contest against the Seattle Seahawks, playing 65 snaps before exiting the game with an apparent knee injury. Lowe was in the locker room walking with an IV, according to MassLive’s Mark Daniels.
Mayo did not give an update on Lowe after the game.
Rookie Caedan Wallace entered the game in relief of Lowe, playing 11 snaps — 10 of which were running plays. A third-round pick for the Patriots this year, Wallace looked good throughout the preseason, allowing 3 pressures on 60 pass block snaps. That’s preseason, though. The regular season is an entirely different beast.
The Patriots will wait and see what Okorafor decides to do before making any moves to replace him.
“I had a conversation with Chuks and it had nothing to do with football and had everything to do with just checking on him as a man,” Pats coach Jerod Mayo said on September 15. “It was a good conversation. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
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Patriots Veteran Free Agent Leaves Team, ‘Reconsidering’ Career in NFL: Report