Colts' Kenny Moore II Keeps Looking Ahead as NFL Extends Virtual Offseason

The Indianapolis Colts nickel cornerback known for making impact plays doesn’t want to talk about 2019, particularly how he missed the last four games with a high ankle sprain. His focus is on 2020, however unusual the remote routine.

INDIANAPOLIS — As Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II was chatting with the media on a Zoom video conference call Wednesday afternoon, the NFL announced an extension of its virtual offseason to May 30th.

The remote OTAs were originally extended through Friday.

No time like the present to ask a player about continually adjusting to the unusual routine impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s awful,” Moore said of the extension before laughing. “No, I’m just kidding. You’ve just got to take it day-by-day. Whatever happens, happens because it’s the best for our health. We’re all excited to get back out to Indy together and to get back to working, but whatever setback there is, we’ve just got to roll with it.”

Since being claimed off waivers from New England in 2017, Moore has cemented himself as a playmaker on the Colts defense. He's made 159 total tackles with six interceptions and 19 passes defended in three seasons.

The nickel cornerback signed a four-year, $36-million extension before 2019. But last season didn’t go according to plan. Moore suffered a high ankle sprain and missed the last four games, three of them Colts losses. The team faded with seven losses in nine games to finish 7-9.

Moore, 24, probably thought that was “awful,” too. But he didn’t say it.

“I think at this point we’re just leaving 2019 in 2019,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. We can’t really worry about the picture that everyone else paints of the Indianapolis Colts. To be the team that we want to be in the future, we’re starting the work right now to be that team. So whatever happened last year, whatever adversity was set, we just have to get knocked down and we’ve just got to get back up and just keep swinging. So 2020 is here and that’s all we’re worried about right now.”

In a stay-at-home world for most, Moore has been able to hook up with cornerback Xavier Rhodes for workouts. His new teammate, signed as a free agent in March, brings seven years of NFL experience with the Minnesota Vikings. Rhodes, 27, was an All-Pro First-Team selection in 2017 and has been named to three Pro Bowls. But his play fell off the past two seasons, in part because of injuries, and the Vikings released him three years into a five-year, $70.10-million extension.

The Colts secondary is young — second-year cornerback Rock Ya-Sin is 23, second-year safety Khari Willis is 24 and fourth-year safety Malik Hooker is 24. So Rhodes can share what he’s learned with the youngsters.

“I think it’ll be the same as whenever we had Mike Mitchell,” Moore said of the veteran safety whose last season in a 10-year career was with the Colts in 2018. “He brought a lot of experience to the room and he gave us a lot of pointers of things to look out for and things to expect. Mike Mitchell actually taught us how to watch film and how to take what we learned in the meeting room to the field each day in practice.

“Xavier Rhodes can do the same thing. I’m actually working out with Xavier Rhodes down here in South Florida, so it’s great to be on the field with him.”

Moore said he’s “feeling great” and his high ankle sprain is no longer an issue.

The only uncertainty is when players will be able to get back together and start practicing. When Moore was asked if he has any concerns about when that day comes, in terms of COVID-19, he paused for a moment.

“No,” he said. “If we’re able to go to work, there’s not much for me to ask. I mean if everything is safe and healthy and we’re all screened and everybody is passing the test, I don’t see a worry there.”

(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)