Steelers sign defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi to a one-year deal

The Pittsburgh Steelers needed help along their defensive line since the retirement of Stephon Tuitt. Some thought the team might sit back and let the answer along the defensive line come from within their organization, but newly minted General Manager (GM) Omar Khan had different plans.

After bringing in former Cincinnati Bengals Larry Ogunjobi for a workout Tuesday, the team announced they have made the move official by way of a one-year contract.

This per Adam Schefter of ESPN:

Drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, Ogunjobi spent four years in Cleveland before spending 2021 with the Bengals. With 21.5 sacks and over 200 tackles in 79 games, Ogunjobi had 7.0 sacks and 49 tackles last season.

For those wondering if this is just a rumor, or official, the Steelers have made the move official.

The Steelers now have a plethora of players on the defensive line, and it will be one of the camp battles to watch when the players report to training camp at Saint Vincent College on July 26th.

If you are wondering how the team was able to make this move without releasing a player, the answer is the team only had 89 players on their 90-man offseason roster. The signing of Ogunjobi rounds out the offseason roster.

There was a concern about Ogunjobi’s overall health, and the likely reason why he was still on the open market as teams prepare for training camps, but the Steelers must have been comfortable enough with his health status to draw up the one year contract.

Ogunjobi being added to the roster should help a sluggish rush defense which ranked dead-last in the NFL last season without Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu available. Alualu is back for another season, and the hope is adding Ogunjobi will help make the group formidable once again.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of the offseason and the 2022 regular season.