Chukwuma Okorafor is not eligible to return to the Patriots this season Originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
Veteran offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor will not play another game for the New England Patriots in 2024.
Okorafor was placed on the exempt/abandoned squadron list on Saturday. The 27-year-old reportedly left the team to “think about his future” in the NFL.
The Patriots moved Okorafor from the exempt/left squad list to the reserve/left squad list on Thursday, according to ESPN's Field Yates. Teams receive a five-day exemption when they move a player to the left squad list, but if the player doesn't return within five days, his season is over.
It's been five days since Okorafor was placed on the exempt/discharged list, meaning he cannot return to the team this season.
Prior to Thursday Night Football, the Patriots moved OT Chuks Okorafor from the exempt/left-team list to the reserve/left-team list.
A team is granted a 5-day waiver when it moves a player to the team's left roster, but if the player does not return within 5 days, his season is…
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 19, 2024
Okorafor will not occupy a spot on the Patriots' 53-man roster and his contract will expire.
New England signed Okorafor in March to fill its glaring need at tackle. Okorafor, who played primarily right tackle during his previous six NFL seasons in Pittsburgh, was offered the option to move to left tackle for the Patriots. The experiment lasted just 12 snaps in the regular-season opener against Cincinnati before he was benched to replace Vederian Lowe.
Without Okorafor and Lowe (knee injury), the Patriots will likely have rookie Caedan Wallace at left tackle for Thursday night's game against the New York Jets. Kickoff for the divisional game is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.
