It was a quiet first three weeks of the 2022 campaign for Tennessee Titans fourth-round pick and tight end, Chigoziem Okonkwo, but the rookie came up big in the Week 4 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Okonkwo had just three catches, but all of them were big plays in the game. He turned those three grabs into a team-high 38 yards, and one went for a touchdown.
Okonkwo’s first grab was a 23-yard reception in the first quarter that helped set Tennessee up for its second touchdown of the game. Two drives later, Okonkwo cashed in with his first career touchdown.
If you thought you noticed any difference in Okonkwo’s confidence, you were right. The rookie admitted that he felt much more comfortable and confident in Week 4 and believes he took “a big step” overall.
“I felt like in this game particularly when I was on the field I felt very comfortable and very confident,” Okonkwo said, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. “When I would hear the play call, I would get lined up, I would know exactly what my job is and it was just playing unconscious and finally just getting out there and just going. A lot of times in other games, I would know my job but I’d still be thinking about it, so this game was definitely a big step.”
1st career touchdown for rookie tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo! @ChigTweets
📺: #TENvsIND on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/vq03c5dmZR pic.twitter.com/Wj4ig1D5Hp— NFL (@NFL) October 2, 2022
Okonkwo’s third and final catch didn’t come until the Titans’ final offensive drive of the game. On a third-and-4 with 1:42 left and the Titans needing a first down to seal the victory, Okonkwo’s number was called, and he delivered with a seven-yard grab to seal the deal.
It was a great showing of confidence and trust from the coaching staff and the quarterback to the 23-year-old, and that wasn’t lost on him after the game.
“We always talk about earning everything,” Okonkwo said. “My number got called today and I went out there and made a play. Whenever my number gets called I just want to go out there and make plays, so I’m very thankful they trusted me with that, I’m very thankful that I was able to come through.”
Hopefully the Titans will continue to incorporate Okonkwo into the passing game more and more, especially with the team’s group of pass-catchers even thinner in the wake of the injury to wide receiver Treylon Burks.
