Kenny Moore II faces free agency for the first time: 'I obviously want to be here'

INDIANAPOLIS - A year ago at this time, Kenny Moore II appeared ready to say goodbye.

It wasn't because he wanted to leave Indianapolis, but because the winds of change were sweeping through with an interim coach. And he knew he hadn't played his way into sticking around.

This year, the tone has flipped, for the Colts and for their nickel cornerback who happens to be their third-most tenured player. Moore is facing free agency for the first time in his seven-year career -- he was claimed off waivers by the Colts from the Patriots as a rookie in 2017 -- and it isn't a thought he wants to entertain much right now.

Because he isn't looking to leave.

"I obviously want to be here," Moore said. "That's been obvious throughout my entire career, how much I put into my craft, how much I put into my teammates.

"Nothing has been a facade with (No.) 23."

Aside from a few months with the Patriots that made him question whether he wanted to play football anymore, Indianapolis is the only NFL home he's ever known. He arrived as an undrafted free agent fighting to find his way on special teams -- "Timid, frightened and scared to express myself," he said -- and rose to becoming a defensive starter and then a standout who reached the Pro Bowl and was the team's Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2021.

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Last season brought out the worst in Moore, among other Colts players, as he battled an ankle injury and finished the season without a single turnover, which had become one of his trademarks. He appeared lost in defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's scheme, and with a coaching change coming and a year left on a contract that at one point made him the highest-paid nickel cornerback, he feared an exit coming.

But the Colts retained general manager Chris Ballard and a front office that initially discovered Moore as a waiver claim in 2017. They retained Bradley, who was open to some long conversations with him about expanding the role within the defense. They had the same goals in mind when the franchise decided to go young at outside cornerback, placing more of a playmaking and communication emphasis on the nickel spot.

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This year, it all turned back up for Moore. He started 16 games and played 99% of the team's defensive snaps in them. He intercepted three passes, one off the team lead, and took two of those picks back for touchdowns to win the Colts a game over the Panthers. He added 1.5 sacks and a career-high eight tackles for loss.

That production, along with Julian Blackmon's breakout year at strong safety, helped the Colts survive one of the youngest secondaries in the league to finish 9-8 and within a few plays of the playoffs.

"Me feeling valued made me feel like I can play my game. So I did this season," Moore said. "I felt happy this season. I felt I gave it my all."

What it's all done for Moore's free agent market is harder to discern. He's turning 29, which is considered the edge of the prime for a cornerback. The nickel spot can have different values depending on the scheme. And whereas it initially held low value in Bradley's, it also increased in its value this year.

One team Moore could look at is the Bears, where former coordinator Matt Eberflus is the coach. It's hard to find a scheme that prioritizes the nickel position more than that one.

Thanks to having a quarterback in Anthony Richardson playing on a rookie deal, the Colts are flush with cash to bring back any free agents they want. They're set to have more than $70 million available this spring, according to OverTheCap.com.

They have to decide on Moore as well as Blackmon in the secondary. Nick Cross was a candidate to take either spot, but the Colts might keep him at the free safety spot where he ended the season as a starter.

After seven seasons in Indianapolis, Moore hopes this is just the next step in the journey here. But he's going to be playing somewhere, continuing the most unlikely of paths for a Valdosta State product who went undrafted and was cut in his first training camp.

"Wherever I can wear 23," Moore said, "I'll wear 23."

Contact Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.