After eventful offseason, Larry Ogunjobi to make Steelers debut vs. former Bengals teammates

Larry Ogunjobi’s first game with his new team is on the same field as his last game with his most recent team. It’s against that team, too.

“We always say,” the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman said, “that God has a funny sense of humor.”

Ogunjobi has had quite a ride since his most recent game. It was Jan. 15 on the turf at what was then called Paul Brown Stadium (now Paycor Stadium) that Ogunjobi suffered a foot injury serious enough it would require surgery. His Cincinnati Bengals beat the Las Vegas Raiders in a wild-card playoff game that day, and they won two more games en route to an appearance in Super Bowl LVI.

A hobbled Ogunjobi, though, was relegated to a spectator. A month after the Super Bowl (the Bengals lost to the Los Angeles Rams), he agreed to a $40.5 million contract with the Chicago Bears that included $26.35 million in guarantees.

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But Ogunjobi failed a physical before the pact became official. So he sat unemployed for three months until the Steelers gave him a deal that could top out at $8 million for 2022.

“Everything that’s happened to me has been for a reason,” Ogunjobi said in a remarkably calm tone for someone who lost out on up to $30 million this spring. “I have never looked back. Even when it looks a little rocky, I always know that God got me, so I take it in stride, stay focused.

“It’s not for lack of hard work. Every day I am putting my best foot forward, just continue to knock at that door.”

After a gradual ramping up to full participation throughout training camp, Ogunjobi has been a regular with the first-team defense and is in line to start Sunday’s season opener in Cincinnati.

Any extra juice in making his debut for a new team and/or in facing his former teammates and friends?

“No,” Ogunjobi said. “It’s a business week.”

The #Steelers signed free-agent defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi to help along the defensive line. Now they just have to figure out the best way to use him.@TimBenzPGH https://t.co/Y5Ri2FCP4G

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) July 27, 2022

Ogunjobi clearly holds no ill will against the Bengals, with whom he spent one season after four years with the Cleveland Browns. Ogunjobi rattled off the names of friends on the team: Von Bell, Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, Jessie Bates, Joe Burrow, “T-Boyd” (former Pitt and Clairton star Tyler Boyd).

“Those are my ‘dogs,’ ” Ogunjobi said.

The way new teammate Tyson Alualu refers to Ogunjobi, it’s clear he’s assimilating into the Steelers similarly well.

“He’s just a dog,” Alualu said of Ogunjobi. “He plays his game almost like the Steeler way: physical, dominant.

“I’m glad we have him rather than have to play against him.”

Ogunjobi has two sacks, 30 tackles and five QB hits in 10 career games against the Steelers. Now, he joins Alualu and All-Pro Cameron Heyward as the projected most-used defensive linemen for a unit intent on improving a run defense that was worst in the NFL last season.

Alualu returns after missing all but six quarters of 2021 because of a broken ankle, and Ogunjobi is coming off his foot surgery. If both are healthy, the interior of the defense has the potential to be imposing.

“As you watch Larry as he’s coming off that foot (injury), he’s a big, powerful man,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. “He moves the pocket, he’s active, he does a lot of good things and he gives you some veteran presence inside. He’s really good in that regard.

“He gives us another stout body inside.”

The Steelers figure to need that in their opener against the reigning conference champion that ranked seventh in the NFL in points per game last season and beat the Steelers, 41-10, last November. This time, Ogunjobi has switched sides.

“I am excited to really go out there and play together,” Ogunjobi said. “Everything sounds good on paper (with the Steelers defensive line), but you have to put it together. Really can’t wait for the opportunity to get out there with these guys.”

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