For the first time in his NFL career, Lance Moore played for a team besides the Saints in 2014, joining the Steelers as a free agent. After a single season in black and gold, however, Moore has asked the club to release him from his contract, according to Adam Schefter and Scott Brown of ESPN.com.
Moore, 31, caught just 14 balls for the Steelers this past season, matching his lowest total since his rookie season. While Moore was never the focal point of New Orleans’ pass game, he had three seasons of 65+ receptions with the Saints, but saw his usage decline significantly in Pittsburgh. With Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and Markus Wheaton all ahead of him on the team’s depth chart, Moore played just 264 offensive snaps in 2014. As the ESPN.com report notes, the veteran wideout hinted at season’s end that he’d like to join a club that would give him more playing time.
“I just want to play … whether that’s here or somewhere else,” Moore said after Pittsburgh’s Wild Card loss. “I’d love to be here, I’d love to be a part of this offense, but I think those are decisions that have to be made down the line.”
If the Steelers were to release Moore, he would count for about $323K on their 2015 cap, with the club wiping his $1.5MM base salary off the books.