Shooting for the Moon
Veteran QB likes Pittsburgh, but Steelers out of room
Posted: Saturday February 20, 1999 09:09 AM
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Starting again? Warren Moon wants to be a No. 1 QB, but he'll likely have to settle for a backup job. AP |
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Warren
Moon has played more games in Three Rivers Stadium than some of the Pittsburgh Steelers. No
wonder he wouldn't mind playing there wearing black and gold, not a road
jersey.
Despite Moon's interest in rejoining his former coach, new Pittsburgh
offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, the Steelers apparently don't have
either the starting job or the money the 42-year-old quarterback wants.
Moon, released recently by the Seattle Seahawks,
visited the San Diego
Chargers earlier this week and suggested Pittsburgh was one of the
teams he is considering.
The Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
also are believed to have interest in Moon, who needs 903 yards passing to
join Dan Marino and John Elway as the only
50,000-yard passers in NFL history.
But while Moon would like to work again under Gilbride, the offensive
coordinator when the two were with the Houston Oilers, Moon prefers to be a
starter, not a backup.
"I'm a guy that's very competitive," Moon said in San Diego. "I'm not
a guy that wants to come in with a backup role. I want to go to a situation
where I know I can play or think I have a good chance of playing, and I
think I have a good chance of playing here."
But no matter where Moon lands, he probably won't be a starter unless
he signs on with the expansion Browns. He likely would back up Trent Dilfer in Tampa or
Ryan Leaf in San Diego.
If Cleveland drafts Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch as expected, Moon
could start for a season while helping develop Couch, who would then become
the starter in 2000.
Coach Bill Cowher already has said that Kordell Stewart remains
his starter, despite Stewart's major drop off in production as the Steelers
slipped to a 7-9 record last season.
However, the Steelers have considered bringing in a new backup
quarterback to replace 36-year-old Mike Tomczak, who angered
some team officials with his criticism of Stewart late last season.
Tomczak, who has played in Pittsburgh for seven years, tried to smooth
over the matter when he met with Cowher after the Steelers lost their final
five games.
But there still are no assurances that Tomczak will return, and the
Steelers may talk to Jeff
Hostetler, released this week by Washington.
The Steelers were interested in signing Hostetler before the 1997
season - Stewart's first as an NFL starting quarterback - but the two sides
could not come to an agreement on salary or Hostetler's role.
The Steelers' biggest problem in bringing in a new backup quarterback
might be salary.
Tomczak is scheduled to make $600,000 in 1999, a relatively low sum
for an NFL quarterback. Moon probably would want more even as a backup, but
the Steelers have less than $2 million remaining under the salary cap and
still must sign a starting left tackle.
Moon began last season as Seattle's starting quarterback, but was
later benched for Jon
Kitna. Moon was released by the Seahawks after Mike Holmgren was hired
as coach and general manager.
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