Steelers A to Z: Can Larry Ogunjobi’s play match status as one of team’s highest-paid players?

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2024 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 14 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

DT LARRY OGUNJOBI

Experience/age: 8th season, 30

Contract status: $13.3 million cap hit in 2024, signed through 2025

The past: Ogunjobi has toured the AFC North, spending his first four seasons with the Cleveland Browns before a one-year stop with the Cincinnati Bengals prior to him joining the Steelers as a free agent in 2022. Ogunjobi’s tenure with the Browns included a role in the infamous Myles Garrett helmet swing on Mason Rudolph during a 2019 game against the Steelers. Ognjobi was robbed of what potentially would have been a professional highlight when he suffered a foot injury during a January 2022 playoff game with the Bengals – Cincinnati played in the Super Bowl a month later.

Ogunjobi was once part of the NFC North… for a few offseason days. A three-year, $40.5 million contract he signed with the Chicago Bears in March 2022 was voided after a failed physical. The Steelers snatched him up three months later at one year and $8 million. After a season in which he played in 16 of 17 games and 63% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps, the Steelers re-signed him for three years and $28.75 million. Though less than half of that was guaranteed, Ogunjobi was given a $4.75 million roster bonus this spring to return for a third season with the Steelers.

Larry Ogunjobi (@Mr_Ogunjobi) backdoors his block, works flat down the LOS & makes the tackle for no gain. An athletic 305 lb DL! #StopTheRun #Steelers pic.twitter.com/azpAVVQaVh

— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) December 24, 2023

2024 outlook: His health an obvious concern when he joined the team, and Ogunjobi indeed practices less often than probably any Steelers player. But to his credit, Ogunjobi has missed just one of the Steelers’ 35 games (including playoffs) since his arrival. He’s played two-thirds of the Steelers’ snaps in that time, starting every game he’s played while amassing 91 tackles (46 solo, 10 for loss), 4 ½ sacks, 19 QB hits, two batted-down balls, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Ogunjobi provides adequate production, but arguably not commensurate with a player ranking fourth on the team in highest salary-cap hit for the 2024 season. The three above Ogunjobi – T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick – each will someday be discussed by Hall of Fame voters. Based on Pro Football Focus’ subjective grading, Ogunjobi was below average (albeit slightly) among the 76 NFL defensive tackles who played the most snaps in 2024. He was slightly in the bottom half in grades for pass-rush and run defense.

But as a trusted veteran, Ogunjobi has been reliable and rarely makes mistakes. He’s locked in as a starter on the defensive line next to Cameron Heyward. Second-year Keeanu Benton is the third starter, but when the Steelers are in a nickel, it’s not inconceivable that the emerging Benton will begin to siphon more of the playing time away from either/or the 35-year-old Heyward and/or Ogunjobi.