Steelers LT Dan Moore ranks 23rd on NFL performance-based pay distribution list for 2023

The NFL league office released the list of the top-25 Performance-Based Pay Distributions for the 2023 season in a memo Monday. The Pittsburgh Steelers walked away with one name on the list — left tackle Dan Moore Jr.

Fans will undoubtedly be shocked to hear that, especially considering the disappointing quality of Moore’s performance this past season. However, considering that the Performance-Based Pay program attempts to compensate players based on their playing time relative to salary, it does make more sense. Moore played 95% of snaps in the 2023 season while earning a base salary of $940,000 — tied for the 108th among offensive tackles.

Moore’s Performance-Based Pay Distribution for 2023 came in at $740,319.

Regarding the distribution of performance-based pay, the league shared:

“Under the Performance-Based Pay program, a fund is created and used as a supplemental form of player compensation based upon a comparison of playing time to salary. Players become eligible to receive a bonus distribution in any regular season in which they play at least one official down. In general, players with higher playtime percentages and lower salaries benefit most from the pool.”

Moore’s future with the team has been up in the air after a disastrous 2023 campaign in which he gave up 55 total pressures in the regular season — the second most among any OL in the league. Unsurprisingly, that translated to a poor PFF pass-blocking grade of 39.7, which ranked as the sixth-lowest in the league (only one spot behind Steelers center Mason Cole) among offensive linemen to play 500+ blocking snaps.

Though his campaign certainly didn’t earn him a starting role in 2024, the Steelers will need to figure out their best course moving forward, as they have dire needs at center, left tackle, wide receiver and cornerback approaching the 2024 NFL Draft.

How would you feel if Dan Moore Jr. remained the Steelers’ starting left tackle in 2024?