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Wide receiver Lance Moore caught 29 passes and four touchdowns in his first season with the Detroit Lions.

(Melanie Maxwell | MLive.com)

ALLEN PARK -- One year after seriously contemplating retirement, wide receiver Lance Moore is now eager to continue his NFL career with the Detroit Lions, the team that made football fun again for the 11-year veteran.

After nine successful seasons with the New Orleans Saints, Moore landed in Pittsburgh in 2014. The move proved to be a bad marriage. Appearing in 14 games, he caught just 14 passes and was a healthy scratch for the team's wild card playoff game against the Ravens.

"Last year, in the playoffs, was the first time I've ever been a healthy inactive," Moore said. "I'm not going to say that rubbed me the wrong way, but it had me guessing -- Do I call have more left in the tank? Can I still play?

"They have a lot of young guys that play really good ball, so I understand."

Instead of walking away from the game, Moore asked for and was granted his release by the Steelers. He then signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the Lions, where Detroit was running an offensive scheme based on the one utilized by New Orleans, where the veteran receiver had thrived.

It was clear throughout training camp and the preseason, Moore was a better fit in Detroit than Pittsburgh. Not only did he make the roster, he served as the team's primary slot receiver from day one.

He finished the 2015 campaign with 29 receptions for 337 yards and four touchdowns, despite being the fifth option in the passing attack behind Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Theo Riddick and Eric Ebron.

Playing a meaningful role and contributing was enough to revitalize Moore.

"Obviously, I'm a receiver, I've got a little bit of diva in me," Moore said. "I want the ball, I want to score touchdowns and stuff like that, but just making football fun again was important to me. It's definitely refreshed my mind and I would love to continue to play football, whereas coming into the year, I thought it might be my last year. "

Great way to finish out the season! Appreciate my teammates more than they will ever know. Football is fun again @Lions — Lance Moore (@LanceMoore16) January 3, 2016

Moore, 32, is set to be a free agent. He wants to continue playing and his preference is to come back to Detroit in 2016.

"I would love to be back here," he said. "This place has basically refreshed and re-energized my love for football. I love the guys in the locker room, I love the coaches, I played college ball an hour from here. We'll wait and see what happens."

Detroit obviously has bigger questions at receiver, while the franchise waits to see if Calvin Johnson will retire this offseason. Even if the six-time Pro Bowler returns, the late-season emergence of TJ Jones could make bringing Moore back redundant.

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