The Browns will get a chance to play a familiar face twice next season.
Free agent Larry Ogunjobi, who played defensive tackle for Cleveland for four seasons between 2017 and 2021, recently signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Ogunjobi lined up at defensive tackle for the Browns, having been drafted in the third round of the 2017 draft by Cleveland.
Across four seasons with Cleveland, Ogunjobi managed 47 starts, where he racked up 14.5 sacks and 180 tackles, both solo and assisted.
But 2021-22 was something of a breakout for Ogunjobi.
He started 16 regular season games, notching seven sacks.
Pittsburgh is hoping the year wasn’t an anomaly.
Familiar Face
And which team did Ogunjobi have a minor breakout with last season?
None other than Cleveland’s AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals.
That’s right, Ogunjobi faced off against the Los Angeles Rams’ O-Line in last year’s Super Bowl.
And now, by signing with Pittsburgh, Ogunjobi will have played for every team in the AFC North except the Baltimore Ravens.
Maybe Ogunjobi will lend a hand to the scout team ahead of division matches this season.
Fans had a host of takes after learning about Ogunjobi’s move:
Mitch Trubisky signed, Kenny Pickett drafted, Larry Ogunjobi brought in today.
Gonna guess Mason Rudolph isn't loving this offseason. #Steelers
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) June 21, 2022
New #Steelers DT Larry Ogunjobi is the player who pushed Mason Rudolph down in the Myles Garrett incident a couple years ago.
Now they’re teammates in Pittsburgh.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 21, 2022
Larry Ogunjobi is only 28 years old and had a career-high seven sacks last season with the Bengals. Solid signing by the #Steelers.
— Blitzburgh✨ (@Blitz_Burgh) June 21, 2022
Larry Ogunjobi to the Steelers. Ouch.
— Blake Jewell (@BlakeJewellNFL) June 21, 2022
Larry Ogunjobi referencing "The Standard" today.
You gotta love it. #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/N5iE3awM9f
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) June 22, 2022
First Look: Larry Ogunjobi in a Steelers uniform.
(Per @AdamSchefter) pic.twitter.com/cwzKmPhKrg— Tad Wissel (@DickAndSauce) June 22, 2022
Ogunjonbi was drafted out of UNC-Charlotte in 2017, one of just four players from the school to accomplish the feat.
As of 2012, Charlotte didn’t even have a college football team; the school’s first game wasn’t played until 2013.
Nonetheless, Ogunjobi joins fellow ‘Niner Alex Highsmith in Pittsburgh.
The two played together when Ogunjobi was a senior in 2017 and Highsmith was just a freshman.
Fight or Flight
Many of the tweets fired off on social media referenced Ogunjobi’s involvement in an on-field scuffle between Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and Myles Garrett.
The infamous scene took place at the end of a Browns-Steelers game in Week 11 of the 2014-15 season.
Ogunjobi shoved Rudolph hard, sending him to the ground.
As a fight between the two broke out, Ogunjobi’s teammate Myles Garrett joined the fray.
Words were exchanged between Rudolph and Garrett, and the latter bashed Rudolph on the crown of his head with a helmet.
The act resulted in bad press for Garrett, who later claimed Rudolph directed a racial slur at him.
In addition, the NFL suspended Garrett for the remainder of the 2019 season.
Roger Goodell reinstated Garrett the following season.
Garrett’s suspension was the second-longest for on-field behavior in NFL history.
Fortunately, Garrett’s been able to put the incident behind him, developing into one of the league’s best talents on and off the field.
Mason Rudolph, on the other hand, is currently battling in a three-way fight to start as Pittsburgh’s signal caller next season, after long-time QB Ben Roethlisberger retired.
Although, now that Ogunjobi is in the locker room, perhaps it’s a four-way battle?
I’m not thinking Rudolph was consulted on the deal…
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