Colts Linebacker Skai Moore Opts Out Ahead of the 2020 Season

The Indianapolis Colts announced on Tuesday that 3rd-year linebacker Skai Moore has elected to opt out ahead of the 2020 season as a safety precaution to COVID-19.

He’s the first Colts player to reportedly make such a decision to sit out the season.

NFL players have officially until 4 p.m. Thursday to opt out as the league’s deadline—although there are some approved exceptions for down the road if need be.

Signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2018, the 6’2”, 225 pound linebacker has appeared in 10 career games (1 start), recording 4 tackles the past two seasons.

Moore presumably faced a tough battle to make the Colts active roster as a linebacker lower on the depth chart—as Indianapolis has a number of players at his position competing—including Matthew Adams, Zaire Franklin, rookie Jordan Glasgow, and E.J. Speed among current projected backups.

It’s unclear whether Moore is a ‘higher risk’ player, but either way, one has to respect his decision—as in his eyes, he prioritizes his personal health over playing football in 2020.