PITTSBURGH — Chuks Okorafor will suit on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals after missing Thursday’s practice with a back injury, the right tackle said Friday.
Okorafor has only missed one game since becoming the team’s mainstay starter at right tackle. This week will be no different. It simply flared up on Okorafor, but he said on Friday that ‘he will be good’ for Sunday’s game.
“I’m good to go,” Okorafor said. “I had no limitations. I’m good to go.”
Okorafor’s durability is one of his shining suits as a starter. In addition, he quickly became the team’s most dependable pass protector in a time when there appeared to be turmoil all over the offensive line. Over his time in the NFL, Okorafor learned how to pace himself through injuries, and it has allowed him to remain healthy throughout most of the regular season.
“I feel like after a year or two, you feel fresh or you’ll only go to the hot tub after,” Okorafor said. “But after a while, it’s like, if you get into year two, three, you start to feel like you need to do a little bit more. So, yeah, I feel like you have to do more.”
As such, he expects to play against a talented Bengals front. The Steelers must be prepared for players such as Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson. Okorafor said that “all of the” Bengals pass rushers are threats to the Steelers right out of the gate. The offensive line feels like they have something to prove every week, but especially this week.
“Every week (we have something to prove,” Okorafor said. “It doesn’t matter if everyone is in year nine or ten or in year one, you have to show it every week.”
Chuks Okorafor fully practiced on Wednesday after not practicing at all on Thursday. On Friday, he said he returned to the field with no limitations. As such, it appears that the Steelers will be fully healthy on their offensive line.