The Pittsburgh Steelers re-signed Arthur Moats to a three-year contract on Monday, but the James Madison product made it known Tuesday morning in an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio that he had other suitors.
Since Saturday, Moats said he had talked to the Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons. He claimed that he was all set to go with the Falcons until deciding to re-sign with the Steelers on Monday.
#steelers LB Arthur Moats spoke with CIN, AZ, & was set to go to ATL until deciding to re-sign with the Steelers
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) March 10, 2015
While it seemed to take some time to get Moats re-upped, he is definitely happy about being able to stay in Pittsburgh.
“Once you come in this organization and you are around the guys, you build lifelong relationships and that is what you want,” said Moats in an interview with steelers.com after re-signing Monday. “I haven’t felt like that since college. For me to have that here is good and I am so happy I get to continue that.
“The family feel of it, from the top of the organization to everyone within the organization. It’s a brotherhood among the guys and these are the guys you want to go to war with.
“Everything was able to get worked out this morning and I’m thrilled I am staying.”
Moats is a solid special teams player and there’s a chance he could open the 2015 season as the outside starter opposite Jarvis Jones depending on what happens over the course of the next few weeks during the free agency signing period and the draft.
Including the one playoff game last season, Moats played 350 snaps on defense. He registered 23 total tackles during the regular season to go along with four sacks and two forced fumbles. The three-year contract that he signed on Monday totals out at $7.5 million and it included $2.75 million guaranteed.
