Dallas Cowboys Release Quarterback Kellen Moore

The Dallas Cowboys release Kellen Moore, according to a report from the Dallas Morning News.

Back in March, the Detroit Lions signed Moore to a two-year contract extension worth $1.8 million. At the time, they felt that he could still be groomed as the backup to Matt Stafford. By September, they realized that it was not meant to be, and Moore was released.

When starting quarterback Tony Romo broke his collarbone and was forced to the sidelines early in the season, the Cowboys needed another warm body at the position because they only had Brandon Weeden on the roster. Dallas turned to free agency and signed Moore.

The hope was that Moore would not be needed on the field. Cowboys were hoping that Weeden would be decent enough to win a couple of games while Dallas waited for Romo to make his return and save the season. When Weeden failed to impressed with his play, management opted to make a trade for veteran quarterback Matt Cassel instead of giving Moore a chance.

That chance for Moore looks to be gone now. Moore was released from his contract because Jason Garrett desperately needed another linebacker. Sean Lee was knocked pretty hard in the head during the play and was forced to leave the game with yet another concussion. His backup, Anthony Hitchens, came in and immediately injured his ankle. Hitchens had to leave the game as well. Mark Nzeocha is expected to be promoted from the NFI list.

Moore might not be done with the Cowboys just yet. Dallas is said to be interested in bringing him back on the practice squad. Doing that enables them to get a further look at Moore. It might not necessarily be a bad idea for the Washington native to take that deal. Dallas needs a quarterback of the future. Romo is 35 years old, and neither Weeden nor Cassel are long-term solutions.

There is very little chance of Moore being needed on the Cowboys game day roster. Romo is set to make his return soon. When that happens, he will obviously reclaim his starting job. Dallas might keep both Weeden and Cassel on the roster while they keep an eye on Romo’s health. An injury at another position might be the only reason for the Cowboys to release one of their backup quarterbacks.

A potential landing spot for Moore might be the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck suffered a lacerated kidney and will miss approximately a month. The only other quarterback on the Colts roster is Matt Hasselbeck. Indianapolis doesn’t exactly have a lot of options at this point in the season, especially with Matt Flynn being signed by the New Orleans Saints this week. Moore might be an intriguing option to them.

At a starter for Boise State, Moore had a ton of success. He led the team to 50 victories, becoming the first quarterback in the FBS to ever accomplish that. Moore only lost three times in his four years at the university. His quarterback rating was over an astounding 157 in all four years. The belief was that Moore was going to be able to make the transition to the NFL, but that moment has yet to come. He has yet to throw a single pass in a regular season NFL game.

At just 26 years of age, Moore deserves a chance in the NFL some day, but that chance is not today.

[ Feature Photo by Chris Graythen / Getty Images ]