We all teams are willing to pay a premium for starting-level offensive tackles that hit the free agent market, but we had no idea that Dan Moore Jr. would rake in an egregiously large salary. The former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle just inked a lucrative contract with the Tennessee Titans.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Titans are signing Moore to a four-year deal worth $82 million that includes $50 million in guarantees and $50 million over the first two years.
ESPN sources: Former Steelers left tackle Dan Moore reached agreement today on a four-year, $82 million deal that includes $50 million guaranteed with the Tennessee Titans. The deal includes in $30 million in year one and $50 million in the first two years. Jeff Nalley and…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2025
Talk about a gross overpay.
Moore, 26, is coming off his best NFL season in his first four years. However, the 2021 fourth-round pick graded out as just the 46th-best offensive tackle in the NFL last season, per PFF, and he crumbled down the stretch against stiff competition.
Thanks to earning 66 starts in as many games and missing only two games in his career, Moore broke the bank with his new deal. His $20.5 million per year average is tied with Denver Broncos' Garrett Bolles for sixth in the NFL and ninth among all NFL tackles.
Pittsburgh Steelers made an effortless decision to let Dan Moore Jr. sign with the Tennessee Titans in free agency
The Pittsburgh Steelers were never going to re-sign Dan Moore Jr. After selecting offensive tackles in back-to-back first-round picks in the NFL Draft, Moore was as good as gone. But these conversations of a potential return could have ended months ago had we known how much money a team would be willing to throw at him.
While Moore improved in his fourth season, this is a contract the Titans will live to regret. For those of us who studied the tape last year, Moore was nothing more than an average-level starting left tackle. Entering his age-27 season, we can't suddenly expect him to get much better.
Because of the contract he inked with Tennessee, the Steelers have a chance to land a handsome compensatory pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for Moore's departure. Of course, this is contingent upon what types of contracts Pittsburgh hands out in free agency. A similar deal could wipe the comp formula out for the Steelers.
Pittsburgh is left with depth concerns at the offensive tackle position, but there's no question they made the right choice letting Dan Moore Jr. walk. I can't imagine how Steelers Nation would have reacted had the front office matched or exceeded the offer of the Tennessee Titans in free agency.