It didn’t take long for recently released defensive tackle Amobi Okoye to find a new home. Just hours after the Texans let him go, Okoye landed with the Chicago Bears, coming to terms on a one-year deal. “It feels good,” Okoye said. “I’ve been locked out for awhile and now I’m going to get a chance to put a helmet on and play some football.”
Okoye said a number of teams spoke to him about adding him, but Chicago was the one that went after him the most, and that’s a big reason why he now is with the team that lost to the Packers in the NFC Title game. “You looked at all of the options and they made the most sense,” Okoye said. “They wanted me. (Defensive coordinator) Rod Marinelli was looking forward to me coming out there, (head coach) Lovie Smith and most importantly the administration wanted me to come there.”
Earlier in the week the Texans had given Okoye, the team’s first-round pick in 2007, permission to seek a trade. He was released on Saturday at his agent’s request according to Okoye.
“When (the Bears) heard about the trade, they spoke the most about me coming there,” Okoye said. “They knew the Texans were eventually going to release me, and therefore wanted to get me after I got released, instead of a trade.”