Colts Release Pillar Cornerback Kenny Moore II
- Colts release 9-year starter Kenny Moore II, a pillar of the team.
- Colts lose 6 multi-year starters this offseason, a significant turnover.
- Colts now rely heavily on 2nd-year CB Justin Walley and Charvarius Ward.
INDIANAPOLIS – Time to replace one of the four pictures of Colts players on the side of Lucas Oil Stadium.
Truly offseason like any other in Chris Balalrd’s decade running the Colts has led to one of his best roster acquisitions granting, and receiving, a trade request.
On Thursday afternoon, the Colts released Kenny Moore II after the former waiver claim spent 9 seasons in Indianapolis.
Moore II has been a pillar Colt, starting 111 games since the team claimed him as an undrafted free agent in August 2017. He has defined reliability, with ample playmaking on the field, and has been a constant presence in the community off the field.
But an aging player entering a pricey contract year, with a new defensive coordinator, and a team that is in a 5-year playoff drought, meant there are not many guarantees when it comes to roster retention.
With Moore II heading elsewhere, that means the Colts have lost 6 multi-year starters this offseason: Michael Pittman Jr., Braden Smith, Kwity Paye, Zaire Franklin, Nick Cross, Kenny Moore II. Those 6 Colts have combined to start 496 games in Indy.
Again, that is change unlike any offseason Ballard has had in his 10 years on the job.
This news becoming official means the Colts are likely to rely heavily on second-year cornerback Justin Walley. The 2025 third-round pick impressed in his first NFL offseason before tearing his ACL last August. The team is very high on Walley, but he’s still yet to play a snap in the NFL.
The Colts also need a healthy season from Charvarius Ward as he flirted with retiring this offseason.
Given the Colts didn’t really touch cornerback this offseason (the volatile Cam Taylor-Britt was added in free agency and the Colts spent none of their 8 draft picks on cornerback this offseason), that only adds to the importance of Walley and Ward in ’26.
The timing of Moore’s April trade request wasn’t ideal for improving the Colts this offseason. Releasing him before June 1st does save the Colts around $7 million in cap space. Granted it’s not like they are in some dire situation to use open cap that is now around $30 million.
Moore’s first year playing for Lou Anarumo wasn’t a banner year from the former Pro Bowl cornerback.
The nickel role Moore II thrived in under previous defensive coordinators doesn’t appear to have the same asks in Anarumo’s scheme. Moore II’s playing time dipped and the asks of him in previous schemes were no longer the same.
At the start of the offseason, we pondered the Colts’ futures of Pittman Jr., Franklin and Moore.
The thought was two of those guys could be leaving Indy.
Now, all 3 will be donning a new jersey in 2026.
That’s quite the turnover for a Colts team in a dire situation to end one of the NFL’s longest playoff droughts.
