Former Pro Bowl Corner Suddenly Available for Vikings
The cornerback position has been a massive problem for the Vikings over the years, but this year’s group is looking quite solid on paper. Sure, there’s no elite shutdown corner, but the club employs the starters from last year’s elite defense as well as free agent addition James Pierre, who should be a reliable backup option. Freak athlete Charles Demmings was acquired in the draft as a developmental defender.
Though perhaps not the biggest need for the first time in a while, the Vikings could further bolster the room by signing former Colts veteran Kenny Moore. The slot defender was released on Thursday. He requested a trade this offseason. Indianapolis failed to find a trade partner and instead released its one-time Pro Bowler.
Nick Shook of NFL.com wrote, “Kenny Moore’s desire to leave Indianapolis has been granted. Following an unproductive trade request, the veteran cornerback was released by the Colts on Thursday.”
A 2017 undrafted rookie with the New England Patriots, Moore was released ahead of his rookie season and the Indianapolis Colts signed him, which turned out to be a fantastic decision.
The defender has suited up for the Colts 132 times and has logged 111 starts. Moore was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021. His impressive statistical resume shows 649 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 21 interceptions.
James Boyd of The Athletic explained, “Moore, who turns 31 in August and is entering the final year of his contract, has a $13.11 million salary-cap hit in 2026. The release gives the Colts an additional $7.06 million in cap space, and they’ll carry $6.05 million in dead money for the upcoming season, per Over the Cap.”
Moore has been one of the premier slot cornerbacks for years. He has played roughly 7,500 snaps in his career, with almost 5,000 of them coming in the slot. Last year, under the new defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo, he played the lowest snap percentage since his rookie season (76%).
“The veteran’s request,” Boyd added, “to move on was due, in part, to a scheme fit issue, league sources told The Athletic. Moore has typically thrived in zone coverage, whereas Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who was hired ahead of the 2025 season, requires his cornerbacks to play more man-to-man coverage.”
Guess who’s deploying zone coverage at a high rate? You guessed it, Brian Flores.
Albert Breer, SI.com, viewed the Vikings as one of the hottest potential destinations for Moore.
“As for potential landing spots,” Breer commented, “I think Dallas would be one, with the nickel being an important piece in new coordinator Christian Parker’s defense and the Cowboys having a hole after Jourdan Lewis’s departure to the Jaguars last year. The Vikings are another potential fit, with Moore’s versatility meshing, at least on paper, with how DC Brian Flores builds his defense. Those teams being in the NFC should also make them likely suitors, assuming Indy would rather not help out a conference rival.”
The Colts failed to attract any suitors for a slot corner who’s set to turn 31 in the summer and has a $10 million paycheck coming his way. Now that he’s a free agent, he appears to be cheaper than that.
The Vikings technically don’t need a slot cornerback, as Flores enjoys putting safeties there, and CB1 Murphy has inside-outside flexibility. According to various reports over the years, the Vikings like their top corner in the slot.
However, the Vikings are in the business of acquiring good football players and Moore certainly has been one for nearly a decade in the NFL. His presence would further elevate the cornerback room.
Moore has always been an undersized corner at 5’9″, which comes with the necessary quickness to thrive in the slot. There’s also the element of experience and football IQ, which he certainly brings to the table. He’s also a skilled blitzer, highlighted by his 11.5 career sacks.
Given the Vikings’ efforts to find high-character players in the draft, Moore would also fit that mold.
Boyd commented, “In addition to his on-field performance, Moore became one of the most respected pro athletes in the Indianapolis community. He was the Colts’ Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee three times for his philanthropic efforts, and he also served as a volunteer teacher at Cardinal Ritter High School.”
Moore, 30, could be on the Vikings’ radar.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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