Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan spoke to reporters at the NFL Combine on February 25, and he all but confirmed that veteran offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. is not a part of the team’s plans going forward.
“I’d say it’s a safe assumption that going into this [season] that [Broderick Jones] will be the left tackle,” Khan responded, when asked about the organization’s plans for Jones. Of course, with 2024 first rounder Troy Fautanu expected to start at right tackle in 2025, that doesn’t bode well for Moore.
In reality, the writing has been on the wall for the four-year starter for some time now. Long-time Steelers beat reporters like Gerry Dulac (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) and Mark Kaboly (Pat McAfee Show) have stated that Moore is not expected to return in free agency, but this is the first time that a high-ranking member of the franchise has virtually stamped that information as factual.
Sure, Khan didn’t specifically say that Moore is gone, but a versatile OT with 69 career starts isn’t re-signing to be a swing tackle. With that in mind, the GM publicly handing the job to Jones carries weight — even if that’s the expected outcome for a former first-round selection.
Steelers GM Omar Khan Sidesteps Pat Meyer Question
Reporters did ask Khan about the performance of offensive line coach Pat Meyer, as well as the decision to retain him. However, the Steelers GM navigated the question without much of a response.
“We ended the season last year with five straight losses and that’s unacceptable with not just the offensive line,” Khan replied. “Everywhere, we got to be better. We have to be self-aware, and we’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror and that goes for players, coaches [and the] entire organization top to bottom.”
Finally, Khan concluded that “we’ve got to ask ourselves what went wrong and why and how do we fix it and how do we make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Later, the Steelers GM also deferred to head coach Mike Tomlin on any potential coaching changes that have yet to occur.
Steelers OT Dan Moore Jr. Is Expected to Land Starting Gig in NFL Free Agency
After Khan addressed the media on Tuesday, Steelers Depot weighed in with the following post:
“Going to be interesting to see the kind of contracts that Dan Moore Jr. and [veteran guard] James Daniels sign with other teams in free agency and how that offsets the compensatory balance sheet. Foregone conclusion for a while now that both will not be back.”
The expectation is that Moore will earn a new starting gig and a nice payday in free agency. Durable offensive tackles are hard to find, and the former Steelers fourth rounder has proven to be just that, even if he has his flaws.
“When you have a 14th and 20th overall pick invested in tackles, you give them the opportunity,” Kaboly told a fan on February 19, when asked why the team isn’t willing to re-sign the vet.
“Don’t worry about Moore,” Kaboly added at the time. “He will get paid nicely in free agency.”
If Moore does walk, as anticipated, the Steelers would be wise to bring in more veteran depth at offensive tackle — just in case the injury bug strikes again.
