INDIANAPOLIS — Mike Hilton has considered Colts nickel Kenny Moore II a kindred spirit for years.
The two men have walked similar paths, rising from undrafted free agents to become two of the best nickels in the NFL, playing far bigger than their listed size along the way.
Now, Hilton finds himself in Indianapolis, attempting to fill Moore’s shoes while the Colts star deals with an Achilles injury suffered on Sunday against Tennessee. From the sound of it, Hilton is preparing to go straight from free agency into the slot against the Rams on Sunday.
“I might not play every snap, but I expect to play a good bit,” Hilton said.
Indianapolis has already made a move like this.
When the Colts lost rookie cornerback Justin Walley to a torn ACL in training camp, they signed veteran cornerback Xavien Howard off the street, betting heavily that Howard’s experience and history with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo would make up for a season spent away from football. Howard has produced mixed results in his three starts, though mostly providing stability for a team that has been hit hard at the cornerback position.
Hilton carries a similar profile.
With Anarumo no longer in the coordinator’s role, Cincinnati decided to let Hilton leave in free agency, and the 31-year-old found a thinner market than he was expecting after allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 67.2% of their passes and post a 92.0 quarterback rating against him in 2024.
Hilton signed with Miami at the end of July. But the Dolphins released the veteran at the end of training camp, preferring younger players at the position.
“Obviously, my free agency didn’t go like I expected,” Hilton said. “Once I signed with the Dolphins, I felt good, but they decided to move on. That’s just the nature of the business.”
Anarumo and the Colts kept an eye on Hilton.
He worked out with Indianapolis a couple of days after getting released, and the Colts told Hilton to be ready in case of an injury to Moore. Hilton’s experience in Anarumo’s defense made him an obvious fit.
“We’ve been through some highs and lows,” Hilton said. “He knows how to use me.”
The Colts initially downplayed the idea that Hilton might play a significant role on Sunday. Mekhi Blackmon has played 64.7% of the team’s defensive snaps this season, and the former Viking can play both the outside and inside.
“Obviously, (Hilton’s) got a lot of familiarity with Lou’s scheme, been a player in this league for a long time, so we’ll get him out there this week and see how the week goes,” Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday.
Unlike Howard, though, Hilton has been through a full training camp.
Indianapolis signed the veteran to the practice squad instead of the 53-man roster, but Hilton’s expectations are bigger.
“Come in and play,” Hilton said. “I’m a plug-and-play type of guy. I know the scheme well, so that’s a smooth transition. Now, it’s just working myself into football shape and trying to contribute.”
He has big shoes to fill. Indianapolis does not plan to put Moore on injured reserve at this point, according to Steichen, but the Achilles is an injury that carries significant risk of reinjury, and the Colts likely do not want to take their chances.
Moore has already been a difference-maker for the Indianapolis defense this season, strip-sacking Tua Tagovailoa in the opener and then picking off Cam Ward on the second play from scrimmage on Sunday for a 32-yard touchdown to put the Titans in a hole early.
Hilton knows exactly how impactful Moore can be.
“We’ve really been the top two nickels over the last five or six years,” Hilton said. “We imitate each other’s games, we had a lot of conversations when I was in Cincinnati about other teams, picking each other’s brains. He’s a guy I love to watch play.”
Hilton might be taking over for Moore this week against a Rams passing attack that likes to put the NFL’s leading receiver, Puka Nacua, in the slot to get advantageous matchups.
The Colts need Hilton to do a pretty good impression of Moore right away.
Joel A. Erickson covers the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
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