Dan Moore has had a small career revival this year. After three seasons of up-and-down play, Moore seems really comfortable at left tackle right now. He is on pace for his cleanest season as a professional and one of his highest-rated since joining the team. All of this is setting him up for a healthy payday next year as Moore will be a free agent for the first time in 2025.
In the NFL, there is a significant tax on offensive linemen. Every team needs five starters and some capable backups, so talent at the position is harder to come by. This is even more apparent at tackle, as it is common for college tackles to shift inside due to size issues. There just aren’t a lot of NFL-caliber tackles in the league.
Unless Moore’s play falls off a cliff, he should be in line to benefit from this tax next offseason. No matter where he ends up, he should see a sizable second deal that will make him a well-paid player in the league. Like it or not, Moore should see a deal averaging ten or more million dollars a year.
Steelers may not be able to afford Moore
Looking back over the past few years, there are a handful of names that make me think Moore will receive a fat contract. The Steelers paid this tax a few years ago for Chukwuma Okorafor, inking him to a three-year deal worth 9.75 a season. Heading into his contract year, his best grade from PFF was 63.6.
Another similar deal was for former first-round pick Andre Dillard. His best season graded out a 69.6, but he also logged far fewer snaps as a player in that span, as he was never a consistent starter. He signed a three-year deal with the Titans worth 9.67 million a season after his rookie deal.
Moore has both more snaps and a higher grade so far than either of these players. That grade can always be lowered, but it seems more than likely that he is, at worst, in line with the aforementioned players above. With the cap constantly rising, Moore’s next contract should be around 10-12 million a season.
A part of me feels like the Steelers would love to have him back considering the questions at tackle that they have. Troy Fautanu is penciled in at right tackle, but they have a complete mess with Broderick Jones right now. They want him on the left side but refuse to play him there. Add in some bad play and dumb penalties and banking on him for 2025 seems risky.
Moore has been steady this year, and if Fautanu can pick up where he left off, that could be a fine duo for the foreseeable future. If you did ink Moore to a contract as outlined above, you are paying him to start though. If you let him walk, suddenly you are risking it all on Jones making a massive leap in year three.
It is a tricky situation, to say the least. The Steelers have poured countless resources into their offensive line over the past years, so letting a capable starter walk is a hard pill to swallow. Either way though, Moore has earned a big pay raise, and you have to be happy to see him finally showcase the talent the team has always saw.