The Indianapolis Colts have some big decisions to make in the coming months, and one of them revolves around starting cornerback Kenny Moore II.
In the final year of his current contract, Moore tried conducting a soft holdout during the spring practices in 2022 in hopes of getting a new deal done. However, that plan didn’t work out, and the Colts held firm in their standing against negotiating.
With the 2023 offseason here, Zak Keefer of The Athletic stated there’s a “decent chance” Moore is moved off the roster in one way or another before the new season arrives.
“While there would be some changes — for example, there’s a decent chance Kenny Moore II is not back with the Colts in 2023 —Bradley’s foundation and experience would be something the new coach could lean on early in his tenure. With DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Stephon Gilmore and Leonard all under contract, there’s plenty of talent, too.”
Keefer isn’t necessarily saying here that Moore will be moved off the roster without a doubt. But it makes sense that the nickel cornerback would be near the top of the list of trade candidates, especially considering the team’s current standing with the salary cap.
Moore’s contract also is set up nicely for the Colts to move on without penalty. According to Over The Cap, the Colts would save roughly $8.2 million against the cap if they find a trade partner for Moore this offseason.
The easiest path to a potential trade is with the Chicago Bears. That move would likely be involved in a potential trade up to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft—if the Colts felt the need to move up from No. 4.
Moore thrived in Matt Eberflus’ defense as a swiss-army knife, and it would make sense to trade him to a team where the fit has already been known to work.
As of this writing, the Colts haven’t even announced who their new head coach is so a move like this is likely lower on the priority list. However, there seems to be a decent chance Moore is suiting up for a different team in 2023.
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