The Pittsburgh Steelers have re-signed outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon to a one-year contract, according to a report by Aaron Wilson of KPRC-TV.
The Steelers did not tender Moon a contract while he was an exclusive-rights free agent by the 4 p.m. last Wednesday deadline, allowing him to become a free agent, but brought him back on a one-year deal a week later.
There was no obvious benefit to the team letting Moon hit the open market before agreeing to a contract with him.
A 6-foot-5, 247-pound outside linebacker, Moon came to the Steelers early in 2024, when the team claimed him off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens . With the Steelers, Moon suffered a preseason injury, causing him to miss the first four games of the season.
He was active in the final 13 contests, playing mostly on special teams. He had three games of elevated playing time at outside linebacker, while Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig were both dealing with injuries.
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon celebrates a play in a preseason game against the Houston Texans on Aug. 9, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Moon played 28 snaps of defense against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 6, recording his first tackle with the Steelers. He then played 45 snaps in Week 6 at the Las Vegas Raiders , making two tackles. Moon then appeared in 14 snaps against the New York Jets and made one more tackle. After that stretch, Moon played just 24 snaps on defense the rest of the season.
The Steelers released veteran outside linebacker Preston Smith earlier this offseason, in a salary cap-related moved. Smith has not signed with another team, and the Steelers have not taken any steps to replace him, meaning that Moon will re-join the the depth chart as the No. 4 outside linebacker behind Watt, Highsmith and Herbig.
In addition to Moon, the Steelers had one other exclusive rights free agent, center Ryan McCollum . He agreed to a one-year contract before last week's deadline.
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