Steelers Tackle Dan Moore Jr. Earns Performance-Based Bonus

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. earned a $740,000 bonus as part of the NFL’s performance-based pay distributions, the league announced on Monday.

In total, the league doled out $393.8 million in performance-based pay on Monday, as part of the CBA-bargained process that rewards players on inexpensive salaries, compared to their level of contributions.

The payments are based on a formula that compares playing time to salary. The only factor in earning the aware is playing time, and not role or quality of play. The bonuses do not count against the salary cap of the player’s team. Moore earned $740,319 in bonuses for his 2023 season, the 23rd-most of any NFL player.

Offensive lineman are frequent recipients of the bonus. This year, guard John Simpson of the Baltimore Ravens received the largest award at $974,613. There were 11 offensive linemen in the top 25 bonuses from 2023.

It’s the second straight year that Moore was awarded the bonus. Kevin Dotson, Chukwuma Okorafor and Matt Feiler have also earned performance bonuses in recent years for the Steelers.

It’s a different process than the proven performance escalator, which increases the fourth-year salary for players that have significant playing time in the first three seasons of their rookie contract. Moore also earned that bonus for this season, and those earnings are included against the salary cap, making his salary cap hit in 2023 $3.45m. 

The Steelers’ starting left tackle since he was a rookie in 2021, Moore is entering the final season of his contract. The Steelers have committed to moving 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones to left tackle eventually, but after Moore held him off in training camp in 2023, and the Steelers released Okorafor as the top backup at right tackle, their near future at left tackle still seems uncertain.