Steelers' Chuks Okorafor feels no added pressure with impending return of Zach Banner

In a sport so often driven by a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately approach, Chuks Okorafor should be feeling pretty content about his job as the Pittsburgh Steelers starting right tackle.

After all, Okorafor is coming off his best game of the season. In the Steelers’ 27-19 victory against the Denver Broncos, he held Von Miller without a sack and was part of a line that limited the All-Pro pass rusher to two unassisted tackles.

Okorafor, however, also plays the same position as Zach Banner, who was named the starting right tackle in 2020 before he tore an ACL in the season opener. Banner is eligible to be activated from injured reserve this week. Even if it doesn’t happen before the Steelers play Sunday night against Seattle at Heinz Field, it will come next week during the bye.

Which means Banner could be pushing for Okorafor’s job no later than the week leading into the Oct. 31 game at Cleveland.

“Everyone here knows It’s a business,” Okorafor said Wednesday. “You have to prove yourself every snap, every play, whether it’s me or Zach.”

After starting 15 games at right tackle last season following Banner’s injury, Okorafor was moved to left tackle, which is considered his natural position, during offseason workouts. But when Banner had a setback in the preseason, Okorafor went back to right tackle and rookie Dan Moore Jr. was installed on the left side.

With Banner back in the mix, Okorafor could be on the move again.

“If I’m told to play left tackle this week, I’ll play left,” he said. “If I’m told to play guard, I’ll play guard. I’ll do as I’m told.”

Okorafor said he took some reps on the left side in the days leading up to the game against the Broncos. That was when he was working his way back into the lineup after missing the Steelers’ game at Green Bay because of a concussion.

“Now, I think I’m going to be back on the right,” he said.

Coach Mike Tomlin will have the ultimate say on who starts at right tackle once Banner is deemed healthy enough to play. He considers it a luxury the Steelers, who had to rebuild the offensive line after last season, haven’t enjoyed this season.

“I’m not going to make it a negative to have more than five capable men who are ready and capable of playing winning football for us,” Tomlin said. “It’s not a negative. It’s just not. We’ll manage it. It will be a pleasure to manage, to be quite honest with you. I’d rather have six than to have four.

“We’re excited about getting (Banner) back into the fold and having that as a viable option for us.”

When Okorafor returned to right tackle, he became the only offensive lineman to hold the same position he manned in 2020. The rest of the line is comprised of two rookies (Moore and center Kendrick Green), a first-year starter (guard Kevin Dotson) and a veteran free agent in his first year with the Steelers (guard Trai Turner).

And when the offensive line struggled early in the season, it put pressure on those players that had experience in the Steelers system, like Okorafor.

Okorafor took the losing and the Steelers’ difficulties in establishing the run to heart.

“As much as you want to flush every game, you still want to look back and see, ‘OK, we did this decent, we did this good, we did this bad,’” he said. “Let’s improve every play. Yes, you want to flush it, but you have to learn from it, too.”

Tomlin saw improvement in the line’s play during the loss at Green Bay. The biggest strides to date were taken against Denver when the Steelers, ranked last in the NFL in rushing yards, had a season-high 147 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry.

For his part, Okorafor was motivated by the matchup against Miller, one of the league’s premier pass rushers. Okorafor held his own in a 2018 meeting in Denver and got the best of Miller again last Sunday.

“I think someone like Von is someone who can change the play every snap, so you have to be at your best whether it’s run or pass,” he said. “You have to do your best every snap.”

At a team meeting Wednesday morning before practice, offensive coordinator Matt Canada reminded the offensive linemen that it was imperative to build on the success that was showed against Denver.

“He said, ‘We challenged you guys,’ and he said a couple names specifically,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “’We challenged you. You stepped up. Now the key is not to take a step back.’”

Okorafor didn’t need the reminder to know what is at stake for him as the team’s starting right tackle.

“I don’t think a coach does too much for (motivating) you,” he said. “It’s always on yourself. You should want to improve and want to play better every play. At least that’s how I feel.”