Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward has big expectations for his fellow defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi.
“Larry's going to eat a lot more this year,” Cameron Heyward said, via Joe Cammarota of SteelersDepot.com.
Larry Ogunjobi played the first four seasons of his career with the Cleveland Browns, before moving to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021, then playing with the Steelers in 2022. So he has three of the four AFC North teams covered. Ogunjobi signed a three-year, $28.75 million contract to stay with the Steelers this offseason.
After signing just a one-year prove it deal in 2022, Ogunjubi played well enough to earn a long-term deal to stay with the Steelers this offseason. Heyward and the Steelers expect Ogunjobi to continue to get better during his long-term deal with the team. Head coach Mike Tomlin said he believes the Steelers have not seen the best of Ogunjobi.
“I don't believe that you did,” Mike Tomlin said back in March, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “That's the perspective that I have. I think that's the perspective that he has. I think that makes both of us excited about his return and what that might mean.”
Ogunjobi had failed a physical with the Chicago Bears after agreeing to a major deal, then failed the physical. He was rehabbing from a Lisfranc injury in his right foot, and was coming off of surgery. He signed with the Steelers that offseason, and his experience there in 2022 made him want to return. He explained why he feld that way, and why re-signing was important to him.
“The energy of the team, going through injury last year and how they took care of me and how they welcomed me with open arms,” Ogunjobi said when explaining his decision to re-sign, via Pryor. “It was super important.”
Hopefully Heyward, Tomlin and the Steelers are right. Ogunjobi improving even more could create a stout defense for Pittsburgh.