Kenny Moore II is on to new beginnings. The Colts granted Moore’s request for a release following the draft. Moore originally requested a trade, but due to his age and contract, that was always unlikely. Instead, he is now free to sign with any team.

A former undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State in 2017, Moore signed with the Patriots out of college, but was cut coming out of training camp. He quickly landed with the Colts where he’s been ever since, even starting as a rookie. While the move might come as a surprise to some, Indianapolis is extremely high on 2025 third-round pick Justin Walley in the slot, and the time had come for both sides to move on.

One of the best true nickel cornerbacks in the league, Moore is a playmaker on defense. He has 21 career interceptions — including four he returned for touchdowns — as well as six career forced fumbles. He’s never afraid to mix it up around the line of scrimmage and will throw his shoulder into big hits. Physicality and toughness are big components of his game, in addition to his sticky coverage skills, and it endears him to every coach and teammate he’s around.

Given that Moore will be entering his age-31 season, he’s unlikely to command a massive market or a big, multi-year deal. He’s probably looking at a one-year mercenary contract, maybe a two-year deal with minimal guarantees after the first. Something in the $5 million range is probably the ceiling for Moore’s contract, around what corners like Dee Alford and Benjamin St-Juste are making.

Regardless of the contract he earns, Moore is a great veteran piece to add to your defense. Contending teams could be interested in him as the final piece to round out their secondary, while younger teams might be interested in his veteran leadership.

Moore, 30, wound up signing on with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State back in 2017. He signed a three-year, $1.66 million contract but was waived and later claimed off waivers by the Colts. 

Moore re-signed with the Colts on a four-year, $33 million extension in 2019 and made a base salary of $6.795 million in the final year of that deal in 2023. Indianapolis re-signed him to a three-year deal worth $30 million in 2024. 

However, he was released ahead of the final year of that deal. 

In 2025, Moore appeared in 14 games for the Colts and made seven starts for them. He recorded 55 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception returned for a TD and six pass defenses.

We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list. 

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers did a lot of good work to upgrade their defense this offseason. Derrick Brown is a star at defensive tackle and CBs Jaycee Horn and Michael Jackson had excellent seasons a year ago. Second-round ED Nic Scourton had a promising rookie year, as well. But on the whole, Carolina’s defense ranked below league-average, and it was the natural place to funnel resources, especially in free agency.

Former Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd should be one of the biggest individual swing pieces of the entire free agency cycle, while ED Jaelan Phillips gives Scourton a true edge presence to pair with. The one position that’s still a question mark is slot cornerback. Chau Smith-Wade did not have a good season in 2025 and the depth behind him is lacking, to say the least.

That’s where Moore could come in. He’d be an immediate upgrade over Smith-Wade and would form a pretty potent trio of cornerbacks with Horn and Jackson. The only potentially complicating factor here is that Moore isn’t young and wouldn’t be viewed as a long-term piece to build around — but vets like him are necessary for contending teams. If the Panthers are ready to take the next step from fun playoff surprise to true playoff-caliber team, they can’t afford to let cornerback be a potential weak spot.

Washington Commanders

With just six draft picks, the Commanders made smart choices and added a ton of talent to their roster. Ohio State LB Sonny Styles completely transforms the middle of that defense, while Clemson WR Antonio Williams and Tennessee ED Joshua Josephs add athleticism and proven production to positions of need, all from the middle rounds.

But cornerback wasn’t addressed in the draft, and that was probably Washington’s biggest weakness on this roster. The Commanders had the worst coverage unit in the league last season, and the only additions they made at cornerback were a pair of bargain free agent signings in Ahkello Witherspoon and Amik Robertson. Neither of those players is fundamentally transforming this unit.

Washington is relying on a second-year leap from former second-round pick Trey Amos. I liked Amos a lot as a prospect, but the Commanders need more. Moore is more, if you’ll pardon the pun, and he’d be a pretty dramatic floor-raiser for Washington’s cornerback corps. The only issue is the awkward fit between him and Mike Sainristil, but the Commanders already have that same issue with Sainristil and Robertson. It sounds like the plan is to move Sainristil to the outside and have Robertson play in the slot, but Moore is a significantly better player than Robertson. It would make more sense to play Sainristil out of position for a player of Moore’s caliber.

Kansas City Chiefs

Even after trading up in the first round to draft Mansoor Delane, the Chiefs need more help at cornerback. Instead of paying big money to Trent McDuffie, they traded him to the Rams for a haul of picks, including an extra first-rounder (which they used on Clemson DT Peter Woods). They also lost another starting corner to the Rams, Jaylen Watson, this time in free agency.

Right now, Kader Kohou and Kristian Fulton are projected to battle for the starting nickel corner duties. I don’t know if that’s good enough for a team that wants to contend for a Super Bowl. Kohou is coming off a serious injury and hasn’t played since 2024, and Fulton didn’t play a ton last year either. Delane and Nohl Williams are good options on the outside, but Kansas City could use a boost in the slot.

With that in mind, Moore could be an excellent stopgap solution. He’s a pure nickel corner who’s a high-level run defender and would be a good fit in Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo’s aggressive, attacking scheme. He could come in on a one-year deal and upgrade the secondary without requiring a major investment, which aligns with what the Chiefs need right now.

Other teams to watch: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans