FOXBOROUGH — Jerod Mayo didn’t close the door or offer details.
The postgame press conference after Sunday’s 23-20 loss to the Seahawks was the Patriots coach’s first media interaction since Chukwuma Okorafor’s surprise departure from the team on Saturday.
“I had a conversation with Chuks and it had nothing to do with football and had everything to do with just checking on him as a man,” Mayo said. “It was a good conversation. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
The Patriots placed Okorafor on the Exempt/Left Squad list on Saturday. The left tackle, who signed with New England as a free agent during the offseason, started Sunday’s win over the Bengals but was benched during the first quarter as they reshuffled their offensive line on the fly.
It’s unclear why he left the team.
Vederian Lowe, who moved into that spot last week, started at left tackle against the Seahawks but suffered a knee injury. His status for Thursday’s game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is uncertain.
Michael Jordan, who was elevated from the practice squad for the second straight week, started at left guard and is a likely candidate to take Okorafor’s spot on the 53-man roster. The Seahawks sacked Brissett three times among the eight times he was hit. The Patriots rushed for 185 yards on 36 carries.
