Barring some unforeseen development, Dan Moore Jr. should open his fourth season as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting left tackle. The Steelers keep trying to make him the bridesmaid, but somehow he keeps ending up the bride. While the Steelers’ plans have run into some snags, Moore deserves a lot of the “blame”.
In each of the past two seasons, the Steelers have drafted a first-round tackle meant to replace Moore. In each case, that tackle failed to display readiness by the time the ball kicked off. Last year, it was Broderick Jones who couldn’t unseat him. This year, Jones was supposed to move to left tackle when rookie Troy Fautanu was ready.
But Dan Moore Jr. is still standing, likely opening the season across from Jones—who is at right tackle. Fautanu is working his way back from a knee injury, but when he returns, who will even play? Will they leave him on the bench—or perhaps will they bench Jones?
“I think that’s professional football. I think we’re continually trying to replace people, and people better be continually getting better in an effort to sustain and grow, and that’s kind of reflective of [Dan Moore Jr.’s] approach and what’s happened with him”, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday.
“He’s gotten better continually”, he added of Moore. “He’s gotten snap opportunities in an effort to do so. Obviously, experience is a component, a significant component to get better. But I just think that’s a really natural thing. I think that happens across all positions on every team at this level. Competition is ever-present. New talent, new competition is just a component of our game at this level”.
A 2021 fourth-round draft pick, Dan Moore Jr. has arguably only been the hoped-for starter once in his four NFL seasons. As a rookie, the Steelers pushed him into the starting lineup due to Zach Banner’s health. A year later, they were banking on a second-year jump that never came.
In 2023, the Steelers hoped that Jones could unseat Moore as a rookie. Instead, he eventually replaced Chukwuma Okorafor at right tackle. Now he is still stuck at right tackle, at least until Troy Fautanu can play. Once he can, the Steelers will have to decide who plays and where. But if Moore plays, it will be at left tackle.
While he isn’t a fan favorite, Moore deserves an immense amount of credit. Despite all of the grief he receives, he has been an incredible teammate and a dedicated craftsman. You can’t question his work ethic, and he has improved over the years—especially if you ignore Pro Football Focus. Now, I’m not predicting some glorious Pro Bowl campaign this year, but the Steelers might not be horrible while he’s starting.
