Kelechi Osemele - Pro Football Rumors

Raiders Work Out Kelechi Osemele, Oday Aboushi, Billy Price

September 14th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 14: The Raiders signed Price to their practice squad Wednesday. This comes as Aboushi landed on the Rams’ taxi squad. A former No. 21 overall pick, Price lost his Bengals starting center gig in his second NFL slate (2019). But the 27-year-old blocker is coming off a full season of starter work with the Giants.

SEPTEMBER 13: Kelechi Osemele did not play in the NFL in 2021, but retirement is not yet in the cards. Two teams have now worked out the former All-Pro guard over the past several days.

The Raiders brought in their former interior starter for an audition, according to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). Osemele, whom the Raiders traded to the Jets during the 2019 offseason, has not played since a Chiefs-Raiders game in October 2020. In addition to Osemele, the Raiders brought in O-linemen Oday Aboushi, Billy Price and cornerback Vernon Hargreaves for early-season workouts.

Osemele, 33, suffered tendon tears in both knees. A similar injury development halted longtime Texans right tackle Derek Newton years ago. Newton went down in October 2016, missed all of 2017 and played in just one more game (in 2018) before hanging up his cleats. Newton was also younger than Osemele was at the time of those tendon tears. But both the Bears and Raiders have kicked the tires on Osemele, whose two career Pro Bowl nods came during his time with the Raiders.

A big-ticket Raiders free agent signing in 2016, Osemele earned Pro Bowl invites in 2016 and ’17. The ex-Ravens second-rounder started three seasons for the Raiders, but months after the team parted ways with ex-GM Reggie McKenzie, its Jon Gruden-led power structure traded Osemele to the Jets. A shoulder injury hijacked the veteran guard’s Jets season (2019) as well, and a memorable dispute with the team ensued on his way out. Osemele played in five Chiefs games, working as a starter for the eventual AFC champions early in the 2020 campaign.

Aboushi is also attempting to come back after an injury; an October ACL tear ended his Chargers run. By lining up as a Bolts starter last year, Aboushi became a rare player who has been a starter for six teams (Jets, Texans, Seahawks, Cardinals, Lions, Chargers). The 31-year-old blocker started five games with the Bolts, who have since moved on via their first-round Zion Johnson pick.

A 2018 first-round Bengals selection, Price spent last season with the Giants. Traded straight up for then-Giants defensive tackle B.J. Hill before last season, Price returned to a full-time starter role after being benched in Cincinnati. The Ohio State product started 15 games for a battered Giants offensive line. Hargreaves, a 2016 Buccaneers first-round pick, played in 12 games for the Bengals and Texans last season.

Despite fielding a below-average offensive line last season, the Raiders did not make any big additions to that unit. In Week 1, they used a few different combinations up front. Josh McDaniels‘ team kept left tackle Kolton Miller, left guard John Simpson and center Andre James on the field throughout but made in-game changes on the right side. The Silver and Black started Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle and third-round rookie Dylan Parham at right guard.

NFC Workouts: Keene, Osemele, Brown, Butler

September 3rd, 2022 at 2:06pm CST by Ely Allen

NFL teams continue to try and piece together their ideal rosters as the regular season approaches. Tight end Dalton Keene is putting out feelers lately, taking visits to San Francisco and Pittsburgh this week, according to two tweets from ESPN’s Field Yates.

Keene faces long odds of getting a job with the 49ers, who currently hold four tight ends on a roster that includes George Kittle, Tyler Kroft, Charlie Woerner, and Ross Dwelley. All three backups behind Kittle had more play and production last year than Keene has had throughout his young career.

Pittsburgh has three tight ends on their roster with Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, and sixth-round rookie Connor Heyward (brother of Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward). The Steelers’ tight end group is a bit less experienced or proven than San Francisco’s, so Keene has a better chance of getting an opportunity in Pittsburgh, but no deals have been announced in the meantime.

Here are a few other notable workouts from around the NFC, starting with a former All-Pro who hasn’t played since 2020:

Offensive guard Kelechi Osemele is attempting to make a big comeback into the NFL. Osemele worked out with the Bears this past Thursday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The 2016 first-team All-Pro has seen his career derailed by injuries over the past few years. After being traded from the Raiders to the Jets, Osemele was released when he underwent shoulder surgery that the Jets didn’t deem necessary. He signed on the next year with Kansas City but was placed on injured reserve after tearing tendons in both knees in a Week 5 game in 2020. The 33-year-old looks to be trying to make his way back to the field and the Bears, who recently claimed another former Raider in Alex Leatherwood, certainly could use the depth.
With defensive tackles Malcolm Roach and Albert Huggins on injured reserve, the Saints are looking to improve their depth at the position. On Wednesday they tried out former Panthers and Bills defensive lineman Vernon Butler, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Butler’s best season came with he started nine games for the Panthers in 2019, racking up 6.0 sacks, but he has been a reliable rotational defensive lineman for the Bills since then.
The Lions hosted defensive tackle Malcom Brown back in late-August, according to Yates. The former first-round pick failed to make an impression, though. Despite the Lions dedicating 13 roster spots to the defensive line on their initial 53-man roster, Brown remains a free agent in search of his next opportunity.

Chiefs Place Kelechi Osemele On IR

October 17th, 2020 at 2:43pm CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY: As expected, Osemele landed on the Chiefs’ IR list. Considering the severity of the reported injury, Osemele is likely done for the season. This comes a season after a separate injury limited him to only three games in 2019.

MONDAY: The Chiefs will be without starting guard Kelechi Osemele for a while, according to head coach Andy Reid. Osemele was forced out in the first quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs and later found to have torn tendons in both of his knees.

Osemele, 31, joined the Chiefs on a one-year deal following Laurent Duvernay-Tardif‘s decision to opt out of the 2020 season. Even though he’s not the player he once was, the 6’5″ blocker came to KC with an impressive resume including two Pro Bowl selections and 96 career appearances from 2012-2019.

The veteran was hoping for a bounce-back year after a turbulent stretch with the Jets. The Jets acquired Osemele from the Raiders in the 2019 offseason for a late draft pick, but things quickly turned ugly. Osemele pushed for shoulder surgery after three games, but the Jets disagreed and urged him to return to action. Eventually, the NFLPA got involved and went to bat on Osemele’s behalf. Ultimately, the Jets released him in October, months before his $11.35MM non-guaranteed base salary for 2020 was scheduled to kick in.

Mike Remmers, who took over for Osemele on Sunday, is likely to move into the starting lineup.

Chiefs To Sign G Kelechi Osemele

July 26th, 2020 at 9:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have agreed to sign guard Kelechi Osemele to a one-year deal, as Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports tweets. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known.

Osemele will help to fortify the Chiefs’ offensive line following Laurent Duvernay-Tardif‘s decision to opt out of the 2020 season. Osemele might not be the player he once was, but this is about as good as it gets for a last-minute August replacement. The 31-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowler with 96 career appearances, all of which are starts.

The Jets acquired Osemele from the Raiders last offseason in exchange for a Day 3 draft pick. He played through shoulder pain in the first three games of the season and told the team that he needed surgery. The Jets disagreed and urged the veteran to return to action. Things got uglier as the year wore on – the NFLPA got involved and went to bat on Osemele’s behalf. Ultimately, the Jets released him in October, months before his $11.35MM non-guaranteed base salary for 2020 was scheduled to kick in.

During his first Raiders season, Osemele graded out as one of the very best interior protectors in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. Soon, the Chiefs will see how much he has left in the tank. He’ll compete with newcomer Mike Remmers. Andrew Wylie, and Martinas Rankin for his spot on the depth chart.

AFC North Notes: Williams, Ravens, Steelers

March 10th, 2020 at 8:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns are once again in on a Trent Williams pursuit, but they were persistent in their efforts to acquire the Pro Bowl tackle last year. Previous GM John Dorsey called the Redskins every week about their disgruntled left tackle, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. However, the then-Bruce Allen-led front office gave Dorsey a flat no each time, per Breer. Even Baker Mayfield, like Williams an Oklahoma alum, communicated with Williams about a trade, Breer adds. Dorsey was believed to have offered a second-round pick to Washington for Williams, who ended up skipping all of last season, but the Redskins were holding out for a first. Daniel Snyder fired Allen at season’s end. Now, the Ron Rivera-run Washington front office appears willing to accept compensation less than a first-rounder for Williams. The Browns will not bring back Greg Robinson, and right tackle Chris Hubbard may be a cap-casualty candidate.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

Matt Skura‘s season ended after 11 games, with the Ravens‘ top center going down with ACL, MCL and PCL tears on a Monday night in Los Angeles. Skura also dislocated a kneecap. It will understandably be a while before the fourth-year offensive lineman resurfaces, but Skura said during an appearance on Sirius XM Radio (via Alex Marvez, on Twitter) he expects to resume running in a few weeks and expressed optimism about being ready for training camp. One season remains on Skura’s rookie contract, so this rehab effort will certainly be key toward Skura securing his payday.
Kelechi Osemele left Baltimore when his rookie contract expired, signing a then-guard-record deal with the Raiders in free agency. Osemele played four seasons on that five-year contract but saw an injury (and subsequent grievance) end his Jets run early last year. With Osemele a free agent, Mike Garafolo notes he could be a name to watch as a replacement for the retiring Marshal Yanda (video link). Osemele, 30, underwent shoulder surgery last year and has battled injuries in recent seasons, but Garafolo adds the former All-Pro guard wants to continue playing and is expected to be ready well before Week 1. A former Ravens Round 2 pick, Osemele started 51 games at guard and tackle with Baltimore.
Both Ramon Foster and Mark Barron could be Steelers cap casualties, Ed Bouchette of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Foster re-signed to stay in Pittsburgh last year and has started 145 games at guard with the Steelers since 2009. A cut would save the cap-strapped Steelers $4MM. The Rams released Barron last year; he caught on with the Steelers and started nine games. Pittsburgh still has Vince Williams under contract and would save $5.25MM by dropping Barron.

Jets Release Kelechi Osemele

October 26th, 2019 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Kelechi Osemele saga took another turn Saturday. The Jets released the veteran guard, who recently underwent a shoulder surgery that has been a point of contention between he and the team.

Osemele is set to miss the rest of the season, and this transaction will be a key point in an off-field battle between the eighth-year guard and the Jets. Gang Green promoted linebacker James Burgess from its practice squad to take Osemele’s roster spot.

With this move coming instead of an IR designation, a grievance will follow. A $579K fine came Osemele’s way last week, with Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reporting the Jets docked him a full game check — the maximum amount possible in this case. Osemele was set to earn $5.2MM over the rest of this season, which contained a $9.85MM base salary.

“The Jets owe him the balance of his contract both under the standard injury guarantee provision of the player contract and under termination pay. We will pursue … all fines to be rescinded through grievances,” said Andrew Kessler, one of Osemele’s agents (Twitter link via Cimini).

The Jets acquired the 30-year-old blocker from the Raiders this offseason, with the move requiring only a Day 3 draft pick. The two-time Pro Bowler started in three Jets games but did so despite shoulder pain. He left the Jets’ Week 3 game due to the injury and said he needed surgery. The Jets pivoted to Alex Lewis at left guard but soon contested Osemele’s stance, with reports circulating the team and doctors believed he could play through the pain. Osemele’s camp insisted that was not the case, indicating even painkillers were not allowing him to perform effectively. A successful surgery commenced Friday.

The NFLPA announced it would back Osemele in this process, which has certainly accelerated Saturday. The former second-round pick was playing on the then-guard-record five-year, $58.5MM deal he signed with the Raiders in 2016. Osemele was due an $11.35MM non-guaranteed base salary next season, but the Jets were expected to release him after this season. Osemele’s team and the NFLPA are also considering to-be-determined actions against the Jets’ team doctors, with the surgery revealing more damage than anticipated.

This saga has not painted the Jets in the best light, with the issue raising eyebrows among current Jets players and respective agents. The team is unlikely to prevail in the forthcoming grievance, barring evidence indicating Osemele encountered the injury away from the team or sought surgery in order to preserve himself for free agency, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap tweets.

Latest On Jets, Kelechi Osemele

October 26th, 2019 at 11:19am CST by Zachary Links

Kelechi Osemele’s Friday surgery went well, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. As a result, his season is over, but his fight in the trenches against the Jets is just getting started.

Osemele’s reps and the NFLPA are now “considering specific action against the Jets’ team doctor for violations of State Medical Board Regulations,” Schefter reports. Osemele’s camp says that the damage found in his shoulder was more extensive than anticipated and he is expected to argue that the Jets were acting irresponsibly by trying to force him back on the field prematurely.

The Jets traded for Osemele in the offseason and inherited the remaining two years on his contract. At this point, it seems like his Jets tenure will be capped at three games.

Moving forward, the Jets will deploy Alex Lewis at left guard as they duke it out with Osemele off of the field.

Jets’ Kelechi Osemele Undergoes Surgery

October 25th, 2019 at 3:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Even though the Jets have oddly listed Kelechi Osemele as doubtful for Week 8, the veteran guard has a clearer timetable now. Osemele followed through with the shoulder surgery he planned to have, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. He will certainly not be playing in Week 8 or for the foreseeable future.

Osemele and the Jets have been at odds over his injury, with the team taking the stance the offseason trade acquisition could play through this pain while Osemele has contended he could not. It’s certainly possible his Jets tenure will be capped at three games.

The Jets were rumored to be considering Alex Lewis to start over Osemele anyway, and the ex-Ravens guard will continue to man the team’s left guard spot. The Jets fined Osemele for not practicing last weekend, taking an unusual position on this matter — one the NFLPA will contest on Osemele’s behalf, if necessary. The Jets are expected to release the 30-year-old lineman in the offseason, doing so rather than having to pay his $11.35MM 2020 salary. None of that money is guaranteed.

The former All-Pro blocker has battled injuries over the past two years, and his camp indicates even with pain-killing assistance he could not play through this pain. The Jets’ stance may not be going over especially well with some of their roster, with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweeting the team’s actions have raised eyebrows.

NFLPA Supports Kelechi Osemele

October 24th, 2019 at 11:53am CST by cwcrouse

The Jets and Kelechi Osemele disagree on the best treatment for his injured shoulder. Osemele plans to have surgery to repair it while Jets team doctors feel that it’s an unnecessary procedure and the franchise has fined the offensive lineman for conduct detrimental to the team as a result of the disagreement. Now, the NFL Players Association has weighed in (via Twitter).

“Our union supports every player’s right to a second medical opinion, workers’ compensation and the best medical care,” the statement reads. “It is not appropriate or ethical for employers in any line of work to dictate the medical care and treatment of any employee. We are considering all options to protect Kelechi Osemele, as we would for any of our members.”

Jets coach Adam Gates has refused to comment on the situation. “I haven’t been involved in this. My job is coaching the team,” Gase said (via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). Per Cimini, Osemele hasn’t spoken to Gase in “weeks” but the guard has no beef with the coach.

Jets’ Kelechi Osemele Expects To Be Released

October 23rd, 2019 at 2:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Kelechi Osemele says he “100%” expects the Jets to release him this offseason (Twitter link via Dennis Waszak of the Associated Press). This comes after a bitter back-and-forth between Gang Green and the guard regarding his readyness from shoulder surgery.

Meanwhile, Osemele’s agents say he will undergo surgery on Friday, with or without the Jets’ approval, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. If the Jets push back, they say “he will have all of his rights under the CBA enforced through the legal process.”

The Jets fined Osemele this week and it seems likely that the veteran will respond for a grievance. At this point, it would be surprising if the Jets didn’t also suspend Osemele for conduct detrimental to the team.

Osemele, who has been one of the game’s better interior linemen throughout his career, seems ready to move on from the Jets.

“It’s been killing me,” Osemele said Friday. “I’m just trying to get this done. I’ve done everything I can. I’ve been at work every day, waking up at 5 in the morning, doing all the rehab and the treatments and stuff like that. I’m like the last dude out of here at night. I’m doing everything I can. I’m working with my agent. We’re communicating with the team. There’s just not communication between the team and my doctor and my agent. It’s just been butting heads for whatever reason. Hopefully, it gets resolved soon.”

Soon, the Jets may move on from him.