Kenny Moore II arrives at Colts training camp despite desire for new contract
WESTFIELD - Kenny Moore II arrived to Colts training camp sporting a red Indy Fuel jersey. He flashed a wide grin and said he was ready for football again.
He arrived, despite a desire for a new contract and a resolution that hasn't yet come.
"I think it's the same thing as I left it in the spring. I'm going to let them take care of that," Moore II said. "I'm just ready to play football for this organization, this city and this team."
Moore II did not participate in Indianapolis' voluntary offseason workouts this spring after notifying the team that he sought a reworked contract. He did attend the team's mandatory minicamp in June, when fines can incur for non-participants, but he checked out early with an undisclosed injury and did not participate in any more drills.
At the time, he did not commit to coming to training camp if the contract had not been resolved.
Moore II is seeking a new deal to the four-year $33 million pact he signed ahead of the 2020 season. That contract has two years remaining, with a $7.5 million annual salary that would rank 30th among all cornerbacks as a stand-alone deal.
Moore II reached his first Pro Bowl last season after tying for the team lead with four interceptions. He played 97% of the Colts' defensive snaps and became one of the vocal leaders on the back end of a defense that again finished in the top 10 in the NFL in takeaways. He was also named the team's Walter Payton Man of the Year winner.
GO DEEPER: How Colts' Kenny Moore II went from a boy scared of hits to Man of the Year
MORE: Most essential Colts, No. 9: Kenny Moore II has outplayed his position and his contract
But his final two games were his worst of the season as the Colts lost to the Raiders and Jaguars to fall to 9-8 and short of a playoff spot. He asked for a new deal with two years left on his current one, from a front office that does not have a precedent for reworking contracts that far in advance.
"I thjnk y'all know my relationship with Kenny," general manager Chris Ballard said. "Our relationship is going to go far beyond anything to do with football when it's over."
The Colts had a busy offseason adding two high-priced defensive players to complement Moore II in edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue and cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Moore II said he helped recruit Gilmore, his former teammate on the Patriots, by texting him to come to Indianapolis and joked that he doesn't need a cut of the two-year, $20 million deal he signed.
Moore II will have a chance to prove his value this season in new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's Seattle-style scheme, which hasn't often operated with a high-end nickel cornerback before. If he can maintain or elevate his Pro Bowl play from a year ago, the conversation could escalate as he enters a contract season next year.
For now, he's in Westfield and ready to practice with the Colts for a fourth training camp in a row.
"I think everyone wants more. Damn right. It's OK," Ballard said. "But then there comes a time when you've gotta play, and now it's time to play."
Contact Colts insider Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Kenny Moore II arrives at training camp without new contract
