The Steelers have a long list of pending free agents, and while some with be targets to bring back, it seems like there will be quite a few notable names that will walk. With free agency just around the corner, I wanted to go player by player and see what their value could be on the open market as well as what it would cost for Pittsburgh to keep them.
Dan Moore Jr. enters the mix, and while most fans thought he was worthless for the majority of his Steelers career, he has proven them otherwise. He improved every year and put together a solid 2024. He faded a bit down the stretch, but he was still a constant presence at one of the premier positions in the NFL.
While the Steelers tackle room features two former first-round picks who are expected to take over, I wouldn’t be shocked if there was some mutual interest in both sides reuniting. The team put a lot of trust in Moore, and he now is familiar with the system and play style.
That said, tackles always have bigger markets due to the lack of premiere options. He won’t be cheap, and he will have a market across the league.
Steelers market value for Dan Moore
- Over the Cap Value: $7.7 million
- Spotrac Value: N/A
Similar contracts: Austin Jackson ($12 million); Walker Little ($13.5 million); Jonah Williams ($15 million)
While Moore won’t be getting a top-of-the-line deal as a tackle, he should still receive a healthy pay upgrade and a strong contract from whatever team inks him in free agency.
The first two similar deals are players that are similar to Moore. Both Austin Jackson and Walker Little looked like busts for the longest time, but when given the opportunity to start consistently, they did enough to warrant new deals.
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Jackson is a right tackle primarily, and while his play is hot and cold, he sets the floor for me at $12 million a season. For someone you are expecting to start, that seems fair.
Little got paid after filling in at left tackle last season. He looked good over a very limited amount of starting snaps, but he was still rewarded with a large deal. One could easily argue that Moore is better than him, and should get more than his average yearly salary.
Where the list stops is Jonah Williams. While not an elite tackle, he is the best name on this list and has been the most consistent. His deal now seems a little cheap, but teams should be using that deal as leverage against Moore.
Steelers deal needed for Dan Moore: 2-year, 26 million dollar deal (13 APY), 12 million signing bonus, 13.5 million total guaranteed
Finding a fair deal is hard, as the team will want to not lock themselves in with Moore given their draft investment at tackle recently. Moore will want to maximize his value and start, so the odds of the two getting a deal done are slim.
If they did, he would need to take slightly below market value to stay. $13 million isn’t a steep discount, but he also wouldn’t want to be underpaid given his strong last season.
Why would Moore agree to this deal? A desire to stay in Pittsburgh would be the main reason. With the deal being so short he could continue to stack good seasons and earn a massive payday when his deal was up.
For the team, this gives them flexibility in the tackle room for another season as Moore’s first-year cap hit would be manageable and he could be cut in year two if they no longer need him.
This all being said, seeing a contract between the two sides would be surprising. Moore should capitalize on his good season and the Steelers need to see what they have in their former first-round picks. I wish Moore the best, and he deserves every penny he is about to get, but I just don’t think there is a great way to get him back to Pittsburgh this offseason.
Prediction: Moore signs a healthy sized contract to start somewhere else.