The Pittsburgh Steelers ended up releasing veteran defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi on the first day of the NFL free agency’s legal tampering period on March 10, and it appears their instincts were correct when it came to this roster move.
Ogunjobi signed with the Buffalo Bills very quickly after being cut by the Steelers, but the Bills are likely regretting that decision right about now.
On March 14, 33rd Team NFL insider Ari Meirov relayed that “Bills DE Michael Hoecht and DT Larry Ogunjobi—both signed this week—have been suspended six games for violating the NFL’s PED policy, per [Buffalo] GM Brandon Beane.”
Meirov added that according to Beane, “the Bills knew about Hoecht’s suspension but not Ogunjobi’s.” Continuing: “Brandon Beane admits they wouldn’t have signed both if they had known but they will adjust and move forward.”
Bills Reporter Relays Statement From Steelers Cut Larry Ogunjobi
ESPN Bills beat reporter Alaina Getzenberg provided more information on the Ogunjobi suspension during an article on March 14.
“Objunobi… found out about his positive test close to the time he was finalizing his one-year deal with the Bills and that the team was not aware before it did so,” Getzenberg informed.
Relaying a quote from Ogunjobi on the matter, who said:
I understand the league, we have an obligation to understand what we put in our body, and I take full responsibility for that. … I take full accountability. It was a mistake. It was an accident. And I accept my punishment. Sometimes, you don’t know what it is. And this is one of those cases. But I think the best thing was to just be honest. … The organization handled it masterfully. They welcomed me with open arms. They understood the situation. They’ve treated me with nothing but open arms and class.
Per Getzenberg, “[Beane] said Ogunjobi came into his office Thursday and discussed the matter. The news delayed his signing from Thursday to Friday. Beane said the development caused new contractual elements that the team needed to work through before signing him.”
Similar to the Steelers’ signing of veteran cornerback Cameron Sutton last year, Ogunjobi will be available to help Buffalo during the latter half of the 2025 season. The only difference is Pittsburgh pursued Sutton already knowing he’d miss eight games, while Ogunjobi’s absence in the first six was clearly a surprise.
Bills Back Larry Ogunjobi After Suspension: ‘He’s a Good Man’
To their credit, the Bills seem to have handled this situation well, trusting the character of the man that they chose to sign, rather than the results of his drug test.
“I give [Ogunjobi] credit cause it’s early in the process,” Beane said via Getzenberg. “The league doesn’t even know about [the positive test], the way that it’s done by an independent group. But he was very forthright.”
“Larry, he was Pittsburgh’s [Walter Payton] Man of the Year,” the Bills GM went on. “He’s a good man. He’s played eight years in the league and never had a blip and so, that’s obviously frustrating for him and a little bit of a setback for us, but we’ve talked it through, we’re in a good spot, but that’s part of the delay [in his signing].”
It appears Ogunjobi will remain with the organization as planned, joining them for their seventh outing of the year.
