The San Francisco 49ers have a lot of promising talent at cornerback — what they don’t have is proven talent. Which we all realize is more valuable if you’re trying to win games.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks the 49ers could still make a move to improve at cornerback before the regular season starts by signing former Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowler Kenny Moore, who has remained the top free agent available at the position for the last few months.
“The Indianapolis Colts and Kenny Moore II agreed to mutually work on a trade early in the offseason,” Knox wrote on August 21. “After weeks of failing to find a trade partner, the Colts opted to release the cornerback instead. Given the lack of trade interest, Moore can only expect modest offers at this point. A team that signs him to a team-friendly contract, however, could get a big bargain. Moore will turn 31 later this month and made just seven starts last season, but he also allowed an opposing passer rating of just 87.8 in coverage in 2025 … he’d be a good fit as a depth piece with the San Francisco 49ers. New 49ers defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus previously coached Moore as the Colts’ defensive coordinator.”
The Colts released Moore on May 7 to clear $7 million in salary cap space.
Moore, 30, has spent his entire career to this point with the Colts, including a Pro Bowl selection in 2021.
Kenny Moore True Underdog NFL Success Story
Moore, 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, was a 2-time NCAA Division II All-American at Valdosta State before making the Colts roster as an undrafted free agent in 2017.
He became the full-time starter in his 2nd season and didn’t give up the job until 2025, when he gave way to Justin Walley, and both Moore and the Colts agreed to seek a trade, which never materialized.
In 9 seasons with the Colts, Moore has 649 tackles, 21 interceptions, and 68 pass deflections in 132 games with 111 starts, and 5 defensive touchdowns. He also has approximately $57.7 million in career earnings through the end of the 2025 season.
One 49ers CB Under Massive Pressure in 2026
The 49ers paid Deommodore Lenoir like 1 of the NFL’s best cornerbacks in 2024 with a 5-year, $88.8 million contract extension.
He’s done little to show he’s worth that type of payday since then.
The Athletic’s Vic Tafur called Lenoir on the carpet for not playing up to his salary ahead of the 2026 season — the 1st of 4 seasons he’s scheduled to earn between $16.5 million and $18 million per year through the end of 2029.
“Lenoir wasn’t as good in coverage last season, according to analytics, but it’s hard to cover receivers in the NFL when the fill-in pass rushers are counting alligators,” Tafur wrote on July 23. “He’s the 49ers’ best cornerback, though it’s fair to say he hasn’t earned the hefty paycheck ($18.4 million per year) quite yet.”
While Lenoir hasn’t been elite, he hasn’t been bad, either, and most importantly, he’s been available — on a team where injuries have become the pervasive, overlying issue, Lenoir has only missed 2 regular-season games since he became a full-time starter in 2022.
49ers Called ‘Logical Landing Spot’ for $57 Million Pro Bowler