When the Colts approached Kenny Moore II with a proposed contract extension in the months leading up to his third NFL season, the young cornerback never saw it coming.
“I was speechless,” Moore said back in 2019.
But given the way Moore has played since signing that deal, which included more than $30 million in additional money, perhaps the Colts should not be surprised that Moore is now looking for another contract.
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Moore is sitting out of this week’s offseason practices as a way of demonstrating his desire for a new deal. He was present during Wednesday’s practice, which reporters were permitted to watch. But Moore, a 2021 Pro Bowl selection, was a spectator and did not participate despite being healthy.
It’s not exactly a contract holdout because players are not required to attend OTAs. And Moore’s presence for other activities, including meetings, could be seen as a gesture of goodwill. But with the Colts installing a new defense, and with the offense and defense squaring off against each other this week for the first time, Moore’s absence is not ideal.
“Everything’s voluntary at this point,” head coach Frank Reich said. “You guys obviously know how we feel about Kenny. Every player’s got to make his own decision. We love Kenny. We’re going to continue to work hard and get the guys ready who are here. I’m glad he’s here. I know he didn’t get to work today. But I’m thankful he’s here and seeing everything that’s going on.”
The situation presents a test for the Colts, who have a documented history of keeping their core players content and avoiding these sorts of spats.
Nonetheless, here they are, with Moore wanting a new deal despite having two seasons remaining (2022 and 2023).
So, how does this get resolved? First of all, you should know the Colts currently have no intention of addressing Moore’s contract. Per a league source, their position is that Moore signed a fair contract in 2019 and they typically don’t renegotiate deals. Meanwhile, Moore has changed agents and appears serious about making his stance clear.
Here’s the context behind a complex situation:
Moore got a premium deal
Moore is due to earn $6.5 million in base salary in 2022 and another $6.795 million in 2023, the final two years of his deal.
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Using the total value Moore received in the 2019 extension (around $35 million), his contract averages about $7 million over five years. That was a premium contract for what Moore was at the time: an undrafted player with just two years of experience and one year as a full-time starter.
The Colts saw it as reasonable because of the unique importance of Moore’s position in their defensive system at the time and the difficulty in finding players capable of filling that role.
Conversely, Moore feels he has since blossomed into a top player. He has four interceptions in each of the past two seasons and in 2021 registered 102 tackles and 13 passes defensed. The Colts have leveraged his talents in several ways, including as a blitzer and run stopper.
Compared with today’s top cornerbacks, Moore’s average salary is significantly lower. There are 22 cornerbacks with average salaries of more than $10 million. This is undoubtedly coloring Moore’s view of the situation.
Still, whether any of that should matter is a different question.
More than a slot corner
Whenever Moore gets a new contract, you can rest assured he will not assess its value based on his status as a slot cornerback.
That’s because Moore is much more than that.
Slot cornerbacks often are their teams’ third-best cornerback and do not typically play all of the defensive snaps. But Moore has played more than 90 percent of the Colts’ defensive snaps over the past four seasons and rarely leaves the field. He is a key factor in many of the defensive calls, and coaches have often found unique ways to position him to make plays at every level of the defense.
Moore plays in the slot because the Colts have determined he is more valuable in the middle of the field than on the perimeter. That is because of the litany of things the Colts have asked of him and the many ways he can affect the game from that area.
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In the NFL, lockdown perimeter cornerbacks tend to earn top dollar. Moore is not that. But he is a unique player with a unique skill set, and that allows him to have a unique impact.
Future implications
There are future implications for the team and the player.
The Colts are certain to be concerned about setting a precedent of renegotiating a deal with multiple seasons remaining on its term. That’s not something they will be interested in doing because of the message it could send to other players.
At the same time, Moore is one of the Colts’ most beloved players, and the team will want to maintain its well-earned reputation of doing right by its core players. It’s easy to say the Colts should just insist that Moore play under his current contract without protest. But teammates will be watching to see how the Colts address this issue with one of the club’s most popular players.
This is also a test for general manager Chris Ballard, who has committed to keeping his top talent with fair deals. He’s done that repeatedly, signing players like Darius Leonard, Braden Smith and Nyheim Hines to rich extensions. This is the first acrimonious contract situation with a core player in Ballard’s five-year tenure. How he handles it could prove a pivotal moment in his time in Indianapolis.
(Photo: Michael Allio / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
