Nine years of staying put in the same place is quite a while. He was brought to the Indianapolis Colts as a waived player following his release from the New England Patriots prior to the 2017 season.
Nobody paid much attention. Now, with just one year remaining on his contract, both sides agree that Moore should leave Indianapolis, according to Adam Schefter from ESPN.
Trading Moore frees up cap space as Indy reshapes its secondary
This is all about mathematics. Moore is projected to earn a base salary of $9.49 million in 2026, while his move would give Indianapolis an extra $7.06 million in savings under the salary cap.
For a franchise that struggled mightily late in the season due to Daniel Jones' injury, which caused them to lose the way after an 7-1 start, that is invaluable.
However, what gets missed in the discussion regarding the contract negotiations is the fact that it is not Moore's inability to perform that prompts his departure.
Last year, he played in 14 games with seven starts, earning six passes defended, an interception, and two forced fumbles. He can still get it done. The math just doesn't make sense anymore.
Two years ago, he signed a $30 million deal for three years which would pay him a sum of $10 million annually. At the time, it made him the highest-paid nickel cornerback in the NFL ever.
A lot changes in just two years, making $10 million for a nickel back nearing 31 years of age unfeasible for Indianapolis.
Since the year he arrived in Indianapolis, he has played in 132 contests with 112 starts, grabbing 21 interceptions and defending 68 passes.
He is not the victim of some sort of failed experiment but, rather, a case of a team choosing to move on with its financial decisions. He would get picked up before draft day.