Larry Ogunjobi

Bills Signees Larry Ogunjobi, Michael Hoecht Facing PED Suspensions

March 14th, 2025 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Active in the pass rusher market this week, the Bills will need some early-season help. It will be a while before their full pass-rushing squad can operate together.

Both Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht are facing suspensions under the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Brandon Beane confirmed this Friday, indicating the Bills knew about Hoecht’s suspension (via BuffaloBills.com’s Maddy Glab) but were not aware of Ogunjobi’s when they signed him.

Ogunjobi is coming off a Steelers release, having signed with the Bills on a one-year, $8.3MM deal. The AFC North veteran would not have been able to command that for an 11-game season, naturally, and it will be interesting to see how the contract is structured. Ogunjobi and Hoecht will lose six game checks from their suspensions. How his base salary is structured will determine how much he loses. While we do not have the Ogunjobi details yet, Hoecht signed a three-year, $21MM deal that includes a $3MM 2025 base salary.

This is not the first time Ogunjobi agreed to a contract before a snag surfaced. The Bears had a three-year, $40.5MM deal agreed to with the free agent defensive tackle in 2022, but the team pulled it back due to an issue that cropped up on a physical. Ogunjobi had recently sustained a foot injury. That led him to Pittsburgh on a one-year agreement after Chicago pulled out of the deal.

Informing the Bills before their negotiations, Hoecht said (via ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg) he found out about his ban three weeks into the offseason. Hoecht played out his rookie contract with the Rams. While players almost never confirm they knowingly took banned substances, Hoecht said (via Getzenberg) he trusted a trainer he should not have and wanted to inform teams ahead of his free agency. Ogunjobi’s timeline is less clear.

These two checked in as B-team acquisitions to the Joey Bosa headliner. While Beane said the team will have a plan to help the decorated acquisition have a better chance of staying healthy, he may need to play more earlier. Though, the Bills were not believed to have closed the door on re-signing Von Miller at a reduced rate. As of now, Buffalo has Bosa, Gregory Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa anchoring their edge rush. Inside, Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones are in place as starters.

With Ogunjobi to miss time, the Bills may need to do more work to fortify their DT group. Third-round pick DeWayne Carter, however, is also a rotational option the team may need to lean on more while the ex-Browns, Bengals and Steelers DT sits.

Bills To Sign DT Larry Ogunjobi

March 12th, 2025 at 8:09am CST by Sam Robinson

A second high-profile D-line cap casualty is heading to Buffalo. After agreeing to terms with Joey Bosa on Tuesday night, the Bills have reached a Wednesday-morning agreement with Larry Ogunjobi.

The recent Steelers release will join the Bills on a one-year, $8.3MM deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Incentives could bump the number to $10MM for Ogunjobi, who spent the past three seasons with the Steelers.

This will be Ogunjobi’s first trip outside the AFC North. The eight-year veteran has played for the Browns, Bengals and Steelers, becoming a quality interior pass rusher. The 108-game career starter will join a Bills team that features Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones at D-tackle. Quinton Jefferson and Jordan Phillips, each acquired in-season last year, are free agents.

Ogunjobi’s sack numbers have tailed off in recent years, but he does have three seasons with at least 5.5. These came with Cleveland and Cincinnati. With Pittsburgh, Ogunjobi tallied six sacks in three combined seasons. The Steelers did see the Cameron Heyward sidekick post 15 tackles for loss and 26 QB hits in that span, one that included the Steelers giving him a three-year, $40.5MM contract. Ogunjobi became a release candidate, however, and Pittsburgh cut bait with a season left on the contract.

Working as a starter for the Bengals team that eventually ventured to Super Bowl LVI, Ogunjobi suffered a season-ending foot injury during the team’s wild-card win. An ensuing physical led the Bears to nix a deal with the former Browns third-rounder the following March, as Ogunjobi landed in Pittsburgh on a one-year, $8MM deal. He played well enough to command the above-referenced Steelers extension, and enough of a market formed over the past two days to bring the Bills past $8MM.

Playing on an extension he signed in 2023, Oliver operates as Buffalo’s top interior pass rusher. The former first-round pick posted a career-high 9.5 sacks in 2023 and has combined to deliver 29 QB hits over the past two seasons. Jones, conversely, is the Bills’ top interior run stuffer. It would stand to reason Ogunjobi will play behind this duo as a high-end reserve option. This is certainly a lot to pay such a player, pointing to Bills confidence Ogunjobi can excel as a frequently used second-stringer.

Ogunjobi’s career-high sack total (seven) came with the Bengals in 2021, and he combined for 20 TFLs between the 2018 and ’19 seasons as a Brown. Chosen in the same draft as Cleveland added Myles Garrett, Ogunjobi has never been an advanced metrics darling. But the 48.3 overall grade he received from Pro Football Focus for his 2024 work was especially low and positioned him as the 94th-best interior DL out of 118 qualifiers. Still, the Bills will bet he has quality football left.

Steelers Release DT Larry Ogunjobi, To Sign LB Malik Harrison

March 10th, 2025 at 8:49pm CST by Rory Parks

The Steelers have released defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Pittsburgh is also making an addition to its front seven by agreeing to sign linebacker Malik Harrison to a two-year, $10MM deal (via Rapoport’s NFL Media colleagues, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo).

Ogunjobi, who is entering his age-31 season, has spent his entire eight-year career in the AFC North. A third-round pick of the Browns in 2017, the Charlotte alum finished out his four-year rookie pact in Cleveland before joining the Bengals on a one-year accord in 2021. He produced a career-high seven sacks that season, and it initially looked as if he would parlay that statistical success into a three-year, $40.5MM contract with the Bears.

Unfortunately, a foot injury suffered in a playoff game with Cincinnati caused enough lingering issues to compel the Bears to nix the deal, and Ogunjobi ultimately landed with Pittsburgh on a one-year, $8MM pact. He signed a three-year, $28.75MM contract with the Steelers the following offseason, though he will not see the final year of the deal. By releasing Ogunjobi now, Pittsburgh will avoid paying out a $3MM roster bonus due on March 15 and his $4MM base salary for 2025. In all, the club willl save $7MM against the cap and will take on a $3.5MM dead money hit.

Ogunjobi has never been an advanced metrics darling, but the 48.3 overall grade he received from Pro Football Focus for his 2024 work was especially low and positioned him as the 94th-best interior DL out of 118 qualifiers. Still, with 108 starts to his name, he should be able to find a new employer seeking an established interior presence. The Steelers, who will again rely on soon-to-be 36-year-old Cameron Heyward to anchor their defensive front, will surely be on the lookout for DL help early in the draft.

The Steelers got to see Harrison more frequently than most during his first five seasons in the league. The former Ravens draftee functioned primarily as a rotational defender during his Baltimore tenure, though he did see a career-high 38% defensive snap share in 2024. Much of that work came in the latter half of the season, as Baltimore pivoted to Harrison to replace the struggling Trenton Simpson as Roquan Smith‘s primary running mate.

This is the second offseason in a row in which Pittsburgh has poached a free agent linebacker from its longtime rival. The club signed Patrick Queen last year, and now Harrison will likely operate behind Queen and 2024 third-rounder Payton Wilson. Having earned over 300 special teams snaps in each of his five pro seasons, he will likely be asked to take on a meaningful third phase role as well.

Steelers Expected To Draft DL Early

February 20th, 2025 at 2:41pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Steelers are currently set to return their defensive linemen rotation from 2024, but it’s an aging group that will require reinforcements this offseason.

Of the linemen who played at least 100 snaps last year, just three – Keeanu Benton, DeMarvin Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk – will be younger than 30 when the 2025 season starts. Of the same group, only Benton, Leal and Cameron Heyward are signed through 2026. Heyward will be 37 when the 2026 season starts, making retirement a serious possibility.

As a result, the Steelers are expected to take a defensive linemen early in April’s draft, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, especially if they move on from Larry Ogunjobi as DeFabo predicts. The veteran defensive tackle is due a $3MM roster bonus on March 15, along with a $4MM base salary for the 2025 season. Releasing him before the new league year would save $7MM in 2025 cap space with a $3.5MM dead cap hit.

Such a move would push defensive line depth further up the Steelers’ list of priorities. They have the cap space to compete for a top free agent like Osa Odighizuwa or Milton Williams, but they have been more focused on finding a starting quarterback for next season.

That could push them to use a high draft pick to add from a strong DL draft class. There could be as many as 24 starting-caliber prospects at the position, according to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). Such a deep class could allow the Steelers to wait until Day 2 to draft a defensive linemen, though a first-round pick seems to be in play as well.

Pittsburgh has used Day 2 picks on defensive linemen in two of the last three drafts: Benton in the second round in 2023 and Leal in the third in 2022. Barring a major addition in free agency, the team is likely to continue their pattern and spend a premium pick to solidify the short- and long-term future of their defensive line.

Contract Details: Tunsil, Ogunjobi, Thompson, Tomlinson, Bradbury

March 25th, 2023 at 2:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on contracts signed since the start of free agency:

Laremy Tunsil, T (Texans): Three years, $75MM. The extension, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, includes a guaranteed amount of $60MM, $50MM of which is guaranteed at signing. The $50MM amount in composed of a $30MM signing bonus, Tunsil’s 2023 base salary of $2MM, and his 2024 base salary of $18MM. The remaining $10MM, which comes out of his 2025 base salary (worth a total of $20.95MM), is guaranteed for injury at signing and becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2024 league year. His 2026 base salary is worth $20.95MM. The contract also includes annual workout bonuses of $150,000 and annual per game active roster bonuses that can potentially total $250,000 each season.
Dalvin Tomlinson, DT (Browns): Four years, $57MM. The contract, according to Florio, includes a guaranteed amount of $26.29MM consisting of a $15.09MM signing bonus, Tomlinson’s first year base salary of $1.08MM, and his 2024 option bonus of $10.13MM. Of the 2024 option bonus, $8.84MM is guaranteed at signing with the rest fully guaranteeing on the third day of the 2024 league year. His 2024 base salary of $1.21MM is guaranteed for injury at signing and will fully guarantee along with the second part of the 2024 option bonus. His 2025 and 2026 base salaries are both worth $13MM, and both have roster bonuses of $750,000 due on the third day of their respective league years. In the first two years of the contract, Tomlinson will receive a per game active roster of bonus of $14,705 worth a potential season total of $250,000. The following two years see the per game active roster bonus rise to $44,117 for a potential season total of $750,000. The deal includes a potential out, allowing the Browns to cut Tomlinson after 2025 with $12.11MM in dead money but $14.5MM of cap savings over the next three years, including two voidable years.
Larry Ogunjobi, DT (Steelers): Three years, $28.75MM. The new deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, includes a guaranteed amount of $12MM at signing consisting of a $10.6MM signing bonus and Ogunjobi’s first year base salary of $1.4MM. His second year base salary of $5MM is guaranteed for injury and his 2025 base salary is worth $4MM. The contract includes roster bonuses of $4.75MM (guaranteed on the third league day of 2024) and $3MM (guaranteed on the third league day of 2025). Pittsburgh also put a potential out in the contract that would allow them to cut Ogunjobi after 2023 with $7.07MM of dead money but with $16.75MM in cap savings over the next two years.
Garrett Bradbury, C (Vikings): Three years, $15.75MM. The new contract, according to Wilson, includes a guaranteed amount of $9.8MM, $4.9MM of which is guaranteed at signing. The initial $4.9MM is composed of a $3.82MM signing bonus and Bradbury’s first year base salary of $1.08MM. The remaining $4.9MM consists of his second year base salary which fully guarantees on the third day of the 2024 league year. The deal includes an annual workout bonus of $100,000 and a per game active roster bonus of $14,705 for a potential season total of $250,000. The deal also includes a potential out that allows the Vikings to release Bradbury after 2023 with zero dead cap, resulting in $13.05MM in cap savings over the next two years.
Shaq Thompson, LB (Panthers): Two years, $12.6MM. The reworked deal, according to Joe Person of The Athletic, includes a guaranteed amount of $8.5MM consisting of a $5.3MM signing bonus, Thompson’s first year base salary of $1.2MM, and $2MM of his 2024 base salary (worth a total of $3.8MM). He’ll receive a $1MM roster bonus guaranteed in March of 2024 and a per game active roster bonus of $29,411 for a potential season total of $500,000. There are also possible incentives concerning a Pro Bowl selection and playoff wins. The deal includes three void years to reduce his current cap hit. His cap number in 2023 was reduced from $24.5MM to $14.06MM.

Steelers, DT Larry Ogunjobi Agree To Terms

March 14th, 2023 at 4:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers are extending their time with Larry Ogunjobi in the middle of their defensive front. The veteran defensive tackle is set to re-sign in Pittsburgh on a three-year, $28.75MM deal (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).

Schefter adds that the contract includes $21.75MM in compensation over its first two years. That makes this pact a lengthier, more lucrative one than the one-year accord Ogunjobi played on in 2022. The latter contract came after a agreement which would have sent him to Chicago fell through due to an issue with his physical.

Ogunjobi, 28, was able to quickly circle back into the AFC North with his Pittsburgh deal after that. His Steelers debut came after four years spent with the Browns, and one with the Bengals. He arrived in the Steel City with significant expectations, given his production as a pass rusher in particular during his time in Ohio. The former third-rounder was also thought to have a clear path to playing time with Stephon Tuitt having retired.

Ogunjobi did indeed start all 16 games he played in last season, logging a healthy snap share of 63%. He notched 48 tackles in that span, a figure on par with his totals from each of the past four campaigns. After recording a career-high seven sacks as a Bengal in 2021, however, his total in that department dropped to just 1.5, the lowest such figure since his rookie season.

As a whole, the Steelers struggled to generate as much pressure with their defensive front as they have in recent years. Missed time from edge rusher T.J. Watt played a major role in that, of course, but the team will still be looking for an uptick in production from Ogunjobi moving forward. His effectiveness as a run-stopper will, in any event, give him a high floor as a player for the short-term future, as the Steelers continue to invest considerably in their defensive line.

Bengals Make Three Waiver Claims

September 2nd, 2022 at 9:55am CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 2: To no surprise, the Bengals are indeed re-signing Allen, Thomas and Williams now that they have the open roster spots to do so, per a team announcement. Cincinnati is also placing safety Tycen Anderson and tackle Isaiah Prince on IR.

AUGUST 31: The Bengals have made some notable additions in the aftermath of yesterday’s roster cutdowns. Per the waiver wire, they have claimed tight end Devin Asiasi, guard Max Scharping and defensive tackle Jay Tufele.

Asiasi came to New England with significant expectations, given his draft status and the organization’s success at the position. The third-rounder made just 10 appearances in his first two seasons, though, recording only a pair of receptions. The Patriots made a substantial free agent investment in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith last offseason, limiting his future with the team. In Cincinnati, he will face steep competition for playing time from Hayden Hurst and, in all likelihood, O.J. Howard.

Scharping is in a similar situation to Asiasi in terms of being an underwhelming high draft choice yet to finish their rookie contract. A 2019 second-rounder, the 26-year-old started 33 of the 48 contests he appeared in with the Texans, moving from the left to right guard spot this past season. Regardless of where he lined up, the Northern Illinois alum graded out in the mid-to-high 50s with respect to PFF rating, leaving him on the roster bubble. Scharping’s vacated spot is likely to be filled by A.J. Cann; he will challenge for a backup role behind top free agent addition Alex Cappa with the Bengals.

Tufele, meanwhile, has seen the least playing time of the new trio. As a rookie last season, he made just four appearances in Jacksonville, totaling two tackles. His PFF pass rush grade of 77 indicates some upside on third downs, which dates back to his time in college. Moving on from the USC alum so soon may have come as a surprise, though the additions of Folorunso Fatukasi and Adam Gotsis along the d-line were likely to significantly lessen his chance of seeing significant playing time with the Jaguars. The Bengals lost Larry Ogunjobi in free agency, but re-upped B.J. Hill, whom Tufele will look to provide depth behind his new home.

The defending AFC champions will return many of the members of last season’s team, but these additions could prove effective at areas of relative need. Among the cuts necessary to accommodate the new arrivals is veteran quarterback Brandon Allen. The 29-year-old signed a one-year deal for the third consecutive offseason to remain in Cincinnati.

For now, Allen’s departure leaves the Bengals with only Joe Burrow under center. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets, however, that Allen “will be back.” Cincinnati is also parting ways with safety Michael Thomas and running back Trayveon Williams.

Latest On Steelers DT Larry Ogunjobi

June 23rd, 2022 at 8:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi joined the Steelers earlier this week, and it sounds like the organization is confident the acquisition will be on the field when practices resume. Ogunjobi underwent Lisfranc surgery this offseason but is expected to be ready for training camp, reports Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter).

This isn’t a huge surprise; if the Steelers sensed there were any lingering issues with the player’s foot, it’s unlikely he would have passed their physical. Still, considering Ogunjobi’s ordeal this offseason, it’s still a positive development.

Ogunjobi suffered a season-ending foot injury in the Bengals’ wild-card win over the Raiders. He hit free agency following the season, and he eventually found a suitor in the Bears, agreeing to a three-year, $40.5MM deal. However, the foot injury forced him to fail his physical, and the contract was ultimately nixed. That botched deal seemed to hang over the defensive tackle for the much of the offseason; while he did land a workout with the Jets, it was otherwise quiet on the Ogunjobi front until he landed his deal with the Steelers.

The former third-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Browns, starting 47 of his 60 games while collecting 180 tackles and 14.5 sacks. He inked a one-year deal with the Bengals last offseason and had one of the most productive seasons of his career. In 16 starts, the the 28-year-old collected 49 tackles and a career-high seven sacks.

Meanwhile, we’ve got some details on Ogunjobi’s deal with Pittsburgh. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the defensive tackle got a one-year contract that can be worth up to $8MM. It’s uncertain what incentives Ogunjobi will have to meet, but considering his foot issues, there’s a good chance it’s tied to games played.

Steelers, DT Larry Ogunjobi Agree To Deal

June 21st, 2022 at 4:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Larry Ogunjobi is now one team short of the AFC North cycle. The former Browns and Bengals defensive tackle met with the Steelers on Tuesday, and the visit produced an agreement.

The sixth-year veteran agreed to a one-year deal with the Steelers, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This addition comes not long after longtime Steelers defensive line starter Stephon Tuitt announced his retirement. The Steelers have since announced the signing.

For Ogunjobi, this represents an end to his lengthy free agency stay. The veteran starter reached an agreement to join the Bears earlier this offseason, but an issue with his physical nixed the deal. Ogunjobi, who suffered a season-ending foot injury in the Bengals’ wild-card win over the Raiders, then spent the next three months looking for another gig.

The Jets also hosted Ogunjobi as well, but the Steelers will make him part of their post-Tuitt equation. Pittsburgh used Chris Wormley extensively in place of Tuitt last season, one the stalwart D-lineman missed all of due to an injury and the mourning of his brother’s recent death. The Steelers struggled to stop the run, ranking last in that department in 2021. They have now added Ogunjobi and third-round D-lineman DeMarvin Leal this offseason, though Tuitt walking away before his 30th birthday could still sting.

This Pittsburgh agreement almost certainly is far off the pact Ogunjobi had in place with Chicago (three years, $40.5MM). On that end, this offseason represents a major blow for the 28-year-old defender. The former Browns third-round pick entered free agency for the first time when the salary cap plummeted due to the pandemic and saw a lingering injury harpoon a lucrative contract a year later. That will make Ogunjobi’s Steelers work pivotal for his future earning potential. There is a real possibility Ogunjobi will never see a better offer than the one the Bears made in March, but the Charlotte alum will benefit from playing opposite perennial Pro Bowler Cam Heyward this season.

Playing on a line featuring Trey Hendrickson last year, Ogunjobi recorded a career-high seven sacks and 16 quarterback hits. Ogunjobi, who spent the first four seasons of his career on primarily Myles Garrett-led lines, registered 5.5 sacks in both the 2018 and ’19 seasons. The Steelers have led the NFL in sacks five years running, and they secured the services of a solid supporting-cast talent for their 2022 iteration.

DT Larry Ogunjobi To Visit Steelers

June 21st, 2022 at 10:05am CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top defenders still on the open market is making another visit today. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi is being hosted by the Steelers.

The 28-year-old had a three-year, $40.5MM contract in place with the Bears at the onset of free agency. However, days later, a failed physical led to the deal falling through. The injury was suffered in Cincinnati’s Wild Card win over the Raiders, which ended Ogunjobi‘s one-year stint with the Bengals.

The contract he played on – worth $6.2MM – was a relative bargain for the eventual AFC champions, considering his production. Ogunjobi totalled 49 tackles and a career-high seven sacks, continuing his consistent statistical output from his time in Cleveland. With the former third-rounder presumed to be on his way to Chicago, the Bengals pivoted to B.J. Hill, signing him to a three-year extension.

Last month, Ogunjobi visited the Jets, a team which, like Cincinnati last year, has made a number of moves this offseason to bolster its defense. That didn’t result in a deal, though, leaving open the possibility for the Charlotte alum to make a second straight move within the AFC North.

Ogunjobi would be a welcomed addition along Pittsburgh’s defensive line. The team lost Stephon Tuitt to retirement this offseason, leaving an opening for a starting-caliber addition. It had been reported recently, on the other hand, that the Steelers were essentially content at the DL and CB positions, planning to spread Tuitt’s workload around to a number of incumbents. Ogunjobi would fill a significant void, and pair well with Cam Heyward along the team’s defensive interior, as it looks to rebound from last season’s disappointing performance against the run in particular.

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