3 worst contracts on the Steelers 2023 roster
- A defensive tackle who was paid out of necessity
- A pair of overpaid offensive starters must step up
By Tommy Jaggi
3. Larry Ogunjobi: 3 years, $28.75 million
It's good that the Steelers were able to retain Larry Ogunjobi for the 2023 season and beyond, but I'm not sure if this is a contract that I can comfortably get behind. In his first season with the Steelers in 2022, Larry 'O' played and started 16 of 17 games, but the results were rather underwhelming.
Despite earning 636 defensive snaps, Ogunjobi recorded just 1.5 sacks and 7 tackles for a loss while failing to earn a forced fumble, fumble recover, or batted pass. The lack of splash plays can be manageable if the performance is strong elsewhere. Sadly, it wasn't.
Ogunjobi graded out as the 63rd-best interior defender in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. Despite being known for his ability to rush the quarterback from the defensive tackle position, Ogunjobi earned a pass-rush grade of just 57.5 -- good for 75th among 92 qualifying defenders.
Unfortunately, this matched what we saw on tape. Considering the underwhelming sample of play we saw from him in 2022, forking up $9.58 million per year over the next three seasons for what might be a very average starter doesn't seem like a good contract at all. The Steelers paid Larry Ogunjobi out of necessity as the market for defensive tackles skyrocketed this past offseason.