Steelers WR Lance Moore: 'I just want to play'

PITTSBURGH -- Few players could have been as disappointed as Lance Moore when the Pittsburgh Steelers season came to an abrupt end last week.

Sure, the club's first playoff appearance since 2011 was all too brief for everyone involved with the Steelers, but Moore was especially displeased because he didn't even get the chance to make an impact in the game. He ended his first season with the team the way it began, on the inactive list.

A nine-year NFL veteran with 346 career receptions when he signed with the Steelers in the offseason, Moore was held to just 14 catches and two touchdowns in 14 games with two starts when the offense was in a four-wideout set. Moore was inactive the opening two games, played sparingly throughout the season -- other than a season-best 49 snaps against his old team, the New Orleans Saints -- and was deactivated for the playoff loss.

"They said they needed special teams guys,'' Moore said. "And with Le'Veon being out, obviously, the dynamic of the guys who were going to be up was going to be different. And that was pretty much it. (But) It was a playoff game, and everything was on the line. So, I would have liked to be out there. But I'm not the one who makes those decisions. So, I guess we'll see.''

Moore was seen talking with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin long after the team meeting earlier this week, and the content of his exit interview with the head coach is unknown. He really didn't know his plans for the future.

"You'd have to ask the guys upstairs,'' Moore said. "I really don't know. I'm not sure. I played a bunch against New Orleans, and I kind of figured it was going to be that way because that was my old team. But anything after that, I really can't call.''

Moore's original contract with the Steelers was for $3 million over two seasons with Moore's deal with a signing bonus for $645,000. There were no other guarantees, and there generally aren't in the NFL. But Moore believed things should have been relatively simple. At least they were as far as he was concerned.

"I just want to play, Moore said. "So, whether that's here or whether that's somewhere else ... to me, it really doesn't matter. Last year, I left to be involved in this offense. So, those decisions are ones that have to be made down the line.''

Moore basically was the fourth wideout behind Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and rookie Martavis Bryant.