When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Troy Fautanu this year, it seemed like Dan Moore Jr.’s days as a starter were numbered. Between Fautanu and Broderick Jones, who was drafted in the first round in 2023, it looked like the Steelers had their tackles of the future. However, Jones has struggled as of late, and Moore’s starting spot has not been in question. When asked if he had any doubt that he’d be able to hold on to his job, Moore sounded confident that he didn’t.
“No,” Moore said Wednesday via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s YouTube channel. “That’s so cliche. I really don’t know how to answer that question. You try not to have doubt. You just control what you can control. Obviously, there’s things that you can’t control in certain situations, so you focus on what you can get better every single day and hope the cards play out in your favor.”
Moore does answer the question, but like most things, the situation sounds more complicated than it actually is. It doesn’t sound like he lacked faith in himself, but there had to be times when he was unsure. The Steelers did invest high draft capital in two players at his position after all. However, Moore stayed the course and focused on himself.
That seems to have paid off for him, too. Moore has had a decent start to this season, and he’s been a great mentor in the offensive line room. That probably supports the idea that he wasn’t overly concerned. If he was worried that his job was in jeopardy, he’d probably be less inclined to help his potential replacement. Instead, he’s been a great mentor.
We’ll see if Moore can hold on to that job for the rest of the season. At the moment, Jones might be in the doghouse, so Moore might have some cushion for the time being. As long as his level of play doesn’t drop, it seems like he’s in the driver’s seat at left tackle.
This week, Moore and the rest of the Steelers’ offensive line will be tested. The Los Angeles Chargers have a good defense with great pass rushers. Moore is controlling what he can control, though, and if he can slow down former Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack, he could get an even stronger grip on his job.
