New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced today that the club has terminated the contract of wide receiver Lance Moore.
"Lance Moore came to us as a rookie and over nine years he made an outstanding contribution to our franchise," said Saints Owner/Chairman of the Board Tom Benson. "He constantly worked hard to get better, showed great enthusiasm for the game and played a big role in our success. He also made significant contributions off the field to our community. Lance's performance has earned the respect of our entire organization and fans and we thank him for everything."
"Just like some of the decisions we made on the defensive side of the ball a few weeks ago, this move today is just as difficult," said Loomis. "Lance was very important to our productivity on offense and our success as a team overall. He joined us in the middle of the 2005 season and progressed from the practice squad to becoming one of the most productive receivers in the history of our franchise and helping us win a Super Bowl and reach the postseason five times. You couldn't ask for more from Lance both on and off the field and we wish him the best of luck."
"Lance Moore made a significant contribution to our team's success," said Saints Head Coach Sean Payton. "While his production on paper is obvious, it only tells half the story. Lance came to us an undrafted rookie who went to NFL Europe and spent time on our practice squad. He went on to produce outstanding results on the field for us as a result of his work ethic, reliability and commitment to get better every day. He's been one of the pillars of what we have built here as an organization."
Moore, 5-9, 190 was originally signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2005 following a standout college career at the University of Toledo. He joined the Saints at midseason of his rookie year. After splitting time between the active roster and practice squad his first two seasons, Moore would go on to appear in 101 games with 30 starts and recorded 346 receptions for 4,281 yards with 38 touchdowns, also adding a seven-yard rushing touchdown. He also returned 47 punts for 387 yards. His reception total is ranked fourth in club record books and his receiving yardage and touchdown catch totals fifth. In six postseason contests, Moore recorded 13 grabs for 132 yards with one touchdown and also caught a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIV to give the Saints a 24-17 lead.
In 2013, Moore appeared in 13 games with five starts and finished with 37 catches for 457 yards with two touchdowns. In the postseason, he caught four passes for 51 yards with one touchdown grab. He enjoyed his most productive season in 2012, when he played in 15 games with seven starts and finished with 65 receptions for 1,041 yards (16.0 avg.) with six touchdowns, setting career-highs in yardage and yards per catch. In addition to being named a USA Today All-Joe selection, Moore was also named the club's 2012 Man of the Year for his contributions off the field to the community and was the team's nominee for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
