Unexpected absence means Patriots need to shuffle game day roster in Week 2

Of all the news expected to come out of New England ahead of their matchup with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, hearing that offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor informed the team he was leaving and would not be available for the game was probably the last thing on the list.

The tenured right tackle was signed in free agency earlier this year and was expected to switch to the left side for the Patriots needy offensive line group after the departure of Trent Brown.

As one of the more difficult positions to play in football, expecting a 6-year veteran who predominately played right tackle for the Steelers before arriving in Foxboro to thrive out of his natural position was asking a lot from the Patriots coaching staff. It was even more unusual to have him as the starter in Week 1 after he was barely used as the left tackle during the summer.

It inevitably led to Okorafor being pulled from the game last week after just 12 plays and replaced by Vederian Lowe, who was more of a liability in 2023 than a help. Fortunately, he fared much better than the veteran and helped keep Jacoby Brissett upright all game.

At the same time, however, it created an unfavorable environment for Okorafor, seemingly leading to his placement on the exempt/left list on Saturday afternoon. Although he was taken out of the game last week, his presence still mattered and provided the much-needed depth the offensive line needed.

His absence now creates a big hole for the Patriots to attempt to fill less than 24 hours before their matchup with the Seahawks.

Chukwuma Okorafor's departure adds more questions about the Patriots offensive line than answers

The Patriots began the 2024 season without a solid answer for their starting offensive line group outside of David Andrews and Mike Onwenu.

Starting right guard Sidy Sow was injured in the preseason and is set to miss his second game this week, while starting left guard Cole Strange is not expected to return until later this year, if at all. The left tackle position has been a problem for the new regime in finding a replacement for Trent Brown, and it's now an even bigger issue with Okorafor out of the building.

This inevitably led to Michael Jordan's elevation from the practice squad for the second week in a row, and it's likely that he will be signed to the 53-man roster soon. It also means we will likely see Caedan Wallace at some point, as the rookie was selected in the third round earlier this year to move from right to left tackle.

The five-year veteran is under a lot of pressure to continue performing as he did last week, and the rookie will face a tall task if called upon in the near future.

Maybe this is a blessing in disguise, even if it doesn't feel like it heading into this game. The demand for Okorafor to switch positions so easily was unfair, especially since he wasn't given much opportunity to practice there throughout the offseason. This could mean he was likely going to be benched at some point anyway, leading to others to replace him.

In that case, if it were inevitable anyway, Jordan and Wallace have a chance to show what they can bring to the team sooner rather than later. Hopefully, it will all work out well for the Patriots' offense since they certainly can't afford to lose any more linemen this year.

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