The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New York Jets 34-32 on Sunday despite some rough performances, and one in particular stood out as the worst of the game. Broderick Jones had a disastrous day against Will McDonald and the rest of the Jets' defensive line, giving up multiple sacks and pressures.
While Jones' first outing as the Steelers' new left tackle didn't work out, their previous starter had just as rough an outing in his new home. Dan Moore Jr. made his debut for the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, and the results were far from exciting.
According to Next Gen Stats, Moore Jr. was credited with allowing seven pressures just from Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto alone, giving rookie quarterback Cam Ward no chance to succeed in his first NFL start. The Titans paid him $82 million to hopefully stabilize the blindside of their offensive line, but he showed exactly why the Steelers let him walk instead.
Titans could be regretting signing former Pittsburgh Steelers' tackle Dan Moore Jr. after just one game
It's only one game against one of the best defenses in the NFL, but the Titans added Moore Jr. to avoid situations like what happened against Denver on Sunday. They knew they were looking to draft a QB with the first overall pick, so putting together a workable offensive line for 2025.
Moore Jr. was a fine tackle for Pittsburgh, and they certainly got a good return on their investment, considering he was just a fourth-round pick in 2021. But he never developed beyond being an average player at best, and the Steelers were fine with allowing him to hit the open market.
The $82 million contract Tennessee handed him was a clear overpay, but that's what happens when a team is desperate for even solid offensive line play. Unfortunately for the Titans, they may not even be getting that from him this season if Week 1 is any indication.
The same way it's too early to write off Broderick Jones improving for the Steelers, Moore Jr. will likely play much better moving forward for Tennessee. He had his bad starts with Pittsburgh, but he was mostly a non-issue as a pass protector, especially for the majority of games.
If he can settle in as just an average left tackle for the rest of the season, the contract could at least be viewed as less of a liability by the end of the year.