NFL veteran edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo signed a new contract with the Cleveland Browns. Okoronkwo, a former fifth-round pick, spent the 2022 season with the Houston Texans but has also played for the Los Angeles Rams.
Sources: Obo Okoronkwo is siging with the #Browns, getting a 3-year deal worth $19M with a chance to make $22M. He gets $12.5M guaranteed.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2023
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Cleveland Browns, Agree to Contract
Apparently, all Ogbonnia Okoronkwo needed to thrive in the NFL was a change of scenery. As one of the few bright spots on the Houston defense, the first-year Texan played in all 17 games while making eight starts. While on the field, Okoronkwo recorded five sacks, 44 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, 11 quarterback hits, and one forced fumble. Unfortunately, the Texans weren’t as successful as Okoronkwo, as the team finished with the second-worst record in the league.
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo originally entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Selected by the Los Angeles Rams, the Oklahoma product spent the entirety of his rookie season on the sideline. Okoronkwo underwent foot surgery in May of 2018 and began the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list. While he was activated later in the season, he never made his way onto the field. Even without playing time, he can still say that he was a part of the Rams team that made it all the way to the Super Bowl.
Okoronkwo made his long-awaited NFL debut in 2019, although he spent the vast majority of the season as a rotational depth rusher. Appearing in 10 games without making a start, the edge defender finished the year with 1.5 sacks, seven tackles, one tackle-for-loss, and four quarterback hits.
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo spent the next two seasons playing a similar role before he signed his one-year contract with the Texans. Since entering the league, the Oklahoma product has recorded 9.5 sacks, 44 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, 24 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles, with most of that production coming in 2022.
Main Photo: Jenna Watson – USA Today Sports
