Here's What Russell Okung Said About Possibility Of Joining Steelers

Free agent offensive tackle Russell Okung has denied reports predicting he would sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On Monday (May 24), Okung shared his reaction to a story by ESPN's Bill Barnwell, which predicted Pittsburgh would sign Okung to a one-year, $6.5 million deal as part of Barnwell's list of 15 predictions for the post-June 1 deadline for NFL deals (ESPN+ subscription required).

"ESPN's trying to predict that I will sign with the Pittsburgh @Steelers this year. Truth is they cannot afford me. I only accept Bitcoin," Okung tweeted alongside an aggregated story about the prediction from SteelersNow.com.

Okung, a former first-round draft pick, two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, missed significant time during the 2019 season after suffering a pulmonary embolism due to blood clots, but started 13 games during the past two seasons.

Okung's most notable success came as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, where he spent his first six NFL seasons as the tackle responsible for protecting franchise quarterback Russell Wilson's blindside.

The veteran offensive lineman would have provide the Steelers with some depth in the trenches to a position group that lost veteran starting offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva to the rival Baltimore Ravens via free agency.

"Pittsburgh let Alejandro Villanueva move on this past season, leaving Chukwuma Okorafor as the favorite to start on the line's most important position," Barnwell wrote. "Okorafor started last year at right tackle after Zach Banner went down injured, but Ben Roethlisberger would be staring down one of the least imposing sets of starting tackles in the league on paper without an addition."

Vilanueva, 32, made 90 starts in the past six seasons, which included starting in all 16 games during each of the last five seasons and two Pro Bowl appearances in 2017 and 2018.

Offensive line has been a major concern for the Steelers throughout offseason, leading the franchise to use its third round pick on former Illinois guard Kendrick Green and fourth-round pick on former Texas A&M offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. in the 2021 NFL Draft.

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