Chukwuma Okorafor’s future in the NFL appears uncertain after the New England Patriots placed him on the Exempt/Left Squad list on Saturday. The veteran offensive tackle is reportedly considering retiring from the game.

“Okorafor has been placed on the exempt/left squad list as he continues to evaluate whether he wants to play football,” Karen Guregian of MassLive wrote on social media. “The team has been in touch with his representatives.”

Okorafor, 27, originally entered the league as a third-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018. He appeared in 79 games with 61 starts for the team, but lost his job as the top right tackle to rookie Broderick Jones midway through their 2023 season. The Steelers eventually released him after the season.

Okorafor joined the Patriots as a free agent in March, signing a one-year, $4 million contract with $3.125 million guaranteed and was considered the favorite to fill the vacant left tackle position. However, that plan never came to fruition: Although he was initially considered the first choice on the left side of the line, he was eventually promoted to right tackle and later to a pure backup position.

However, with nominal LT Vederian Lowe recovering from an abdominal injury, Okorafor started the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was taken out of the game after 12 snaps and three quarterback pressures gave up. Less than a week later, his future is in serious question.

The Patriots host the Seattle Seahawks for their first home game on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET.