Saunders: No, the Steelers Don’t Have a Right Tackle Battle — Yet

Despite the way that Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada said what he said on Saturday, the Steelers do not have a real competition at right tackle — yet.

All training camp, Chukwuma Okorafor has worked as the Steelers’ starting right tackle and Dan Moore, Jr. as the starting left tackle, with rookie first-round pick Broderick Jones sprinkling in a few reps with the first team at left tackle.

In the preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons, Moore stayed on the field after the first team departed and played one series at right tackle, with Jones on the left side. On Saturday, Canada essentially said that the Steelers have three good tackles for two spots, seemingly opening the idea of Moore competing with Okorafor at right tackle in addition to Jones at left tackle.

“You know, we’re in a situation where we’ve got three really good tackles competing for those jobs,” Canada said. “Chuks and Dan have played a lot of football for us. Broderick is coming in and battling.”

But at least for right now, that isn’t happening. Okorafor will unquestionably be the starting right tackle when the Steelers take the field against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 10, and at least right now, it seems very likely that Moore will be the starting left tackle.

The reason that Moore played some right tackle in Atlanta on Thursday night has nothing to do with him competing with Okorafor, but instead signifies that if something were to happen to the veteran right tackle, Moore flipping sides would be the team’s primary backup plan

Moore took some initiative on his own to work at right tackle before and during OTAs, a position he hasn’t played since his freshman year at Texas A&M.

With projected No. 4 tackle Le’Raven Clark struggling through training camp and the preseason, and even getting passed by former college quarterback Dylan Cook on the depth chart, Moore is likely going to be the first backup plan at right tackle, whether the Steelers keep three tackles or four on their active roster come cut-down day.

Unlike Nate Herbig and James Daniels, who may fill the same role as backup center while primarily playing guard, Moore has never played right tackle in an NFL game, and so it was prudent for the Steelers to get him a look there. I asked him earlier in training camp if he would feel comfortable at right tackle.

“Decently comfortable, but not comfortable enough,” he said then, prompting what happened on Thursday.

But there’s more to the story than just Moore being the backup right tackle. Jones’ day is coming and everyone knows it. The Steelers didn’t trade up in the first round to get him for him to sit on the bench for too long. That’s the reason that Moore took it upon himself to start work at right tackle this spring.

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It doesn’t look like it will be in Week 1 of 2023, but you’d better believe that at least by Week 1 of 2024, the Steelers intend for Jones to be the starting left tackle. Moore and Okorafor are both under contract for 2024. Moore will cost $1.2 million. Okorafor will cost $11.8 million.

If the offensive coordinator is currently speaking about those two players in the same breath, even if they’re not actually currently in completion, you can bet they will be by this time next year.

Moore has done everything possible to keep hold of his job this season. You could tell from the first day of training camp how much different his body looked coming into the season, and the results have shown that work paying off. 

He will eventually be asked to take on another challenge in moving to the right side if he wants to remain a Steelers starter. But that day is not today.