Controversial Steelers Starter May Leave After 2024: "He's Gonna Get Paid A Decent Amount Of Money"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent the last several years trying to rebuild the offensive line. The organization has had a lot of failure during this time, which is looking to turn around with the additions of Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier. Both of Pittsburgh's top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft join Broderick Jones on the line, who the Steelers selected 14th overall in 2023. With the Steelers selecting two tackles in the first round over the last two years, it seems like Dan Moore Jr's time in Pittsburgh may be coming to an end.

Moore has been the Steelers' starting left tackle in nearly every game since the beginning of the 2021 season. He has received a lot of hate from fans, as he is consistently seen as one of the worst at his position in the entire league. This narrative mainly come from Pro Football Focus, who always give Moore a low grade, and possibly makes him seem worse than he is. Steelers insider, Mark Kaboly, recently joined 93.7 The Fan and he spoke about the negative thoughts around Moore, as well as his future.

"It's hard to criticize his resume. What does he have, 50 career starts? I think people pay attention a little bit too much to Pro Football Focus numbers with him. I don't think he's as bad as a lot of people think he is. Is he great? No, but put it this way. If he leaves next year, a guy that's 25 and has 50-some-odd starts, he's gonna get paid a decent amount of money next year. He's gonna be like a Kevin Dotson type of guy because the position is so light."

Moore started every game but one for Pittsburgh during the 2023 season, being the starter for 16 games. In all, he has started 49 games for Pittsburgh at left tackle. This kind of experience is highly valued by a lot of organizations, especially coming from a division like the AFC North. 

Had Chukwuma Okorafor not been benched, it is likely that Jones would have taken over for Moore at some point during the 2023 season. Now that the Steelers drafted another left tackle, it's obvious the organization plans to move on from Moore. He is entering a contract year in 2024; and with the way the Steelers' roster currently looks, it's unlikely he will be back in 2025. 

Fautanu and Jones will be Pittsburgh's starting tackles at some point during the 2024 season. It could be Week 1, but that is unlikely due to Head Coach Mike Tomlin's pattern of making rookies serve as a backup to start the year. Both Jones and Fautanu are true left tackles, but each feels comfortable playing on either side of the offensive line. This is something Moore can't do, which he recently admitted during Organized Team Activities (OTAs). 

All things point to Moore moving on from Pittsburgh after the 2024 season, but he should be expected to get paid. He has a ton of experience, and could be a good bridge-player for another organization.

Steelers Could Replace Moore As Early As Training Camp

If Fautanu impresses early on, it could mean Moore being replaced as the starter at left tackle before the season even begins. The Steelers gain nothing from starting Moore, it is not beneficial to have him on the field and he is not a trade piece that could provide value. Even if he gets replaced by Fautanu, he will remain on the roster as the swing tackle, also known as the sixth offensive lineman that comes on the field for certain personnel packages. 

Pittsburgh has injected a lot of young blood into their offensive line, along with two sturdy veterans at guard in Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels. It will only be beneficial to throw Fautanu into the fire, rather than starting Moore for another handful of games. 

What do you want the Steelers to do at left tackle? Let us know in the comments below!

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