Pittsburgh Steelers sign DT Larry Ogunjobi to one-year deal

ByABC News
June 21, 2022, 6:19 PM

Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday.

The Steelers did not disclose financial terms of the contract.

Ogunjobi now will have played for the Cleveland Browns, Bengals and Steelers, leaving the Baltimore Ravens as the lone AFC North team not to have had him on their roster.

Ogunjobi had also visited the New York Jets since his three-year, $40.5 million deal with the Chicago Bears fell apart after he failed his physical on March 18. The Bears wouldn't say why he failed the physical, but Ogunjobi did undergo offseason surgery to repair a right foot injury.

The Steelers had a glaring need for defensive line depth after the retirement of Stephon Tuitt earlier this offseason. Ogunjobi will be most important in stopping the run, a major focus of the 2022 Steelers after the run defense finished last in the league a season ago. Ogunjobi had 12 tackles for loss last season in Cincinnati and has 41 in his career.

Ogunjobi has a little history with the Steelers. He was involved in the 2019 on-field altercation between Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and was suspended one game.

Last season, Ogunjobi was part of the overhaul that helped the Bengals go from the lowest sack total in the NFL in 2020 to 11th in 2021, registering a career-high seven, which was tied for the third most of any interior defensive lineman, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

His sack total last season was nearly half of his combined total over four seasons with the Browns (14.5).

Ogunjobi, 28, missed most of Cincinnati's run to Super Bowl LVI after he suffered a season-ending foot injury in the wild-card victory against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Overall, the 2017 third-round draft pick has 21.5 career sacks with 229 tackles and two forced fumbles.

ESPN's Brooke Pryor and Ben Baby contributed to this report.