The Pittsburgh Steelers had a fairly pleasant offseason in 2024 aside from trading away Diontae Johnson and Kenny Pickett. The only contracts the team had to deal with were Pat Freiermuth and Cam Heyward, and the organization extended both of those players before the start of the regular season. Next offseason, the Steelers are likely preparing to lose some guys in free agency - including James Daniels and Dan Moore Jr.
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Steelers' Dan Moore Jr. gets in the zone before Week 4 against the Colts during the 2024 season.
Daniels is currently out for the season after suffering an Achilles injury, but he has played well ever since joining the team back before the 2022 season. His play will likely earn him a large contract in free agency, meaning he might have played in his last game as a Steeler. After the 2024 season, this may also be true for Moore. Fans have complained about Moore for nearly four full years, but teams will value his experience and the quality of his play once he hits the open market. Insider Brian Batko spoke about this on Thursday morning.
"Moore is going to parlay four seasons of starting at left tackle into a solid contract somewhere. I just wouldn’t bet on it being the place that has made multiple investments to replace him. Especially given that one of those investments — Jones — might produce better returns at the left tackle spot he played in college."
Moore is currently playing better than he ever has. During the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Moore was consistently called out on social media for poor play, but now he has been one of Pittsburgh's better offensive linemen. It will likely cost a good chunk of change to keep him in Pittsburgh past the 2024 season, which is something the organization likely wouldn't do.
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Steelers' Troy Fautanu and Broderick Jones sit in their lockers before Week 1 against the Falcons.
The veteran left tackle would also probably like a change of scenery after four tumultuous seasons with the Steelers. His job has been threatened the last two seasons, but he hasn't budged at left tackle. Pittsburgh spent first-round picks on Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu - who are expected to be the two book-ends on the offensive line for the foreseeable future. Batko was asked about why the team wouldn't bring Moore back, other than the price.
"That just wouldn’t be good asset management after drafting tackles in back-to-back first rounds. Now, if Broderick Jones is a guy they’ve completely lost faith in after two years by that point, then I suppose it’s a different discussion. Or if Isaac Seumalo’s $10 million cap hit makes him a roster casualty and there’s a desire to move Troy Fautanu inside to guard."
Isaac Seumalo becoming a cap casualty and getting cut is hard to imagine, but there is definitely a world where the organization has had enough of Jones. He has struggled, but his struggles have come at right tackle. He played left tackle throughout his college career and is being forced to start on the right side because of Moore. Fans saw the organization move on from a former first-round pick in Pickett, but Jones is a different story since he is being played out of position.
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Steelers' James Daniels during the National Anthem ahead of a game in 2023.
Steelers Offensive Line Will Look A Lot Different In 2025
Daniels is almost certainly gone following the 2024 season because Pittsburgh likely won't pay him the big contract that he has earned. Moore will also likely be gone so that Pittsburgh can get their last two first-round picks on the football field at the same time. As of now, the plan after the 2024 season seems to be putting Jones at left tackle, Seumalo will still be at left guard, Zach Frazier at center, Mason McCormick or a new face at right guard, and Fautanu at right tackle.
2025 will look a lot different on the offensive line for Pittsburgh, but the idea of seeing all of the organization's young investments on the line on the field together is exciting.
What do you think Moore will do after the 2024 season? Let us know in the comments below!
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