Steelers OT Chuks Okorafor Explains Surprise Benching

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a surprising move prior to kickoff against the Tennesse Titans, shuffling the starting lineup to make Broderick Jones the starting right tackle and benching Chukwuma Okorafor. 

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Jones had been working hard and with the team looking for something to kick-start the offense, rewarded the 2023 first-round pick with the second start of his young NFL career.

"I just thought we needed a spark," Tomlin said. "I thought Broderick had worked hard and was deserving of the opportunity so we gave it to him."

Okorafor explained his benching further in the locker room following the game, saying he is healthy and was benched because he "acted out" at the end of last week's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

"I talked to Coach [Tomlin] and he said it has nothing to do with my play on the field," Okorafor told Corey Crisan of DK Pittsburgh Sports. "It was something that happened last week towards the end of the game. I wasn't sure what's going to happen, but we'll see what happens next week. Hopefully, I'll be back out there. I have no idea yet. ... I kind of said stuff I shouldn't have said. Being in Year 6 I can't act out how I was acting out."

Jones, who hadn't played on the right side since his freshman year at Georgia, made that decision harder for the Steelers coaching staff with his play against the Titans. He helped pave the way for 165 total yards and a touchdown and kept quarterback Kenny Pickett, who was battling a serious rib injury, from taking any sacks. 

"That was a challenge, moving to the right and going up against elite pass rushers," Jones said. "So I was just able to lock in on my skills and take what I know from the left to the right, just play my game."

The Steelers now have to decide whether to bring their highest-paid offensive lineman back into the fold or let their top draft pick from a year ago get valuable experience. 

Leaving the game, Jones or Okorafor didn't know who would start moving forward.