Isaiah Rodgers Wants Vikings to Trade for his Buddy
Unlike in recent years, the Minnesota Vikings have not entered the trade market this offseason. Instead, the club has signed four external free agents. One of those was cornerback James Pierre, who joined the starting duo of Byron Murphy and Isaiah Rodgers.
Rodgers, however, thinks the Vikings should add another corner, as his former teammate Kenny Moore just appeared on the trade market.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Friday, “Sources: Colts and Kenny Moore II mutually have agreed to seek a trade and a new home for the veteran cornerback. Moore is entering the last year of his contract, and both sides feel it is time to explore a trade.”
Rodgers was employed by the Indianapolis Colts from 2020 to 2022 and Moore has been with the organization since 2017. He started his career with the New England Patriots as an undrafted player, but didn’t make their roster as a rookie and instead headed to Indianapolis.
A reunion in the Twin Cities could be on the table and Rodgers would apparently welcome it, posting a picture of Schefter’s report and an image of himself standing next to Moore.
Moore is in the final year of his contract. He is one of the best-paid slot defenders in the business and the Vikings or any other team would inherit that final year on his deal, costing $10 million. Of course, a potential contract extension is possible.
The Athletic’s James Boyd wrote about the situation, “The Indianapolis Colts and cornerback Kenny Moore II have agreed to seek a trade, league sources confirmed to The Athletic on Friday. The decision to potentially move on from Moore is partly due to his fit in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s system, the sources said. Anaurmo prioritizes man coverage over zone, the latter of which is where Moore has typically thrived in his career.”
The Vikings have one of the highest zone coverage rates in the NFL.
The defender has worn a Colts uniform 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. He has played roughly 7,500 snaps in his career, with almost 5,000 of them coming in the slot. And that’s what the Vikings would acquire: a cornerback specialized in slot duties.
Unfortunately, that could be the problem. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has covered the slot with several different players over the years for maximum versatility, deploying a mix of safeties and cornerbacks in the middle of the field. Byron Murphy also has the slot skill set and the Vikings are annually rumored to use him in the slot more frequently. Moore’s arrival would end that speculation and cement Murphy as an outside presence.
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.
Boyd added, “It’s fair to argue that Moore may have lost a step as he’s aged, but he still has proven to be a productive player who could help shore up another team’s secondary. In 2025, Moore totaled six pass breakups, one interception (a 32-yard pick six against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3), 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss. Opposing QBs completed just 62 percent of their passes when targeting a player who was covered by Moore, per Pro Football Reference, which is the best mark of his career.”
Moore will turn 31 in the summer and he’s no longer a long-term solution. He could certainly help the Vikings in the upcoming season, but it’s fair to wonder whether they might look for another reinforcement in the draft rather than trade away any picks, given they have one of the oldest rosters in the NFL.
Nevertheless, a trade would functionally cost $10 million in cap space and likely only a late-round pick.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.