So far in free agency the Green Bay Packers have signed seven players. Four of these players were current Packers re-signed to new deals: offensive lineman Sean Rhyan and Darin Kinnard, defensive tackle Jonathan Ford and edge Brenton Cox Jr. The other three were signed off of other teams: defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, cornerback Benjamin St. Juste and wide receiver/returner Skyy Moore.
To me, the most intriguing of the bunch is Skyy Moore. The Green Bay Packers have struggled at finding a consistent kick returner since the late 1990’s when Desmond Howard was a vital contributor to the team’s 1996 Super Bowl win.
The Packers have had some really good one-year wonders in the return game in the last 30 years: Howard in 1996, Roell Preston in 1998, Allen Rossum in 2000 and Will Blackmon in 2008. Several other guys were good on punt returns for several seasons before being moved off the position: Charles Woodson in 2006 and 2007, Randall Cobb in 2011 and 2012 and Micah Hyde in 2013 and 2014.
And recently, Keisan Nixon was the league’s All Pro kick returner after two impressive seasons on kickoff returns in 2022 and 2023. Nixon also was the team’s leading kick returner in 2024 despite being moved into a starter at cornerback.
Best Return Seasons Last 30 Years
Season(s) Player Return Stats (Ret, Yds, TDs)
1996 Desmond Howard KR - 22, 560, 0; 58*, 875*, 3
1998 Roell Preston KR - 57, 1497, 2; PR - 44, 398, 1
2000 Allen Rossum KR - 50, 1288, 1; PR - 29, 248, 0
2006-07 Charles Woodson PR - (06) 41, 363, 0; (07) 33, 268, 0
2008 Will Blackmon KR - 55, 1157, 0; PR - 36, 398, 2
2011-12 Randall Cobb 2011 KR - 34, 941, 1; PR - 26, 295, 1; 2012 KR - 38, 964, 0; 31, 292, 1
2013-14 Micah Hyde PR - (13) 24, 296, 1; (14) 14, 221, 2
2017 Trevor Davis KR - 31, 707, 0; PR - 24, 289, 0
* NFL Regular Season Record
Will Matt LaFleur finally prioritize a kick returner on the roster?
In seven years as the Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, Green Bay has only had one player who was a difference maker in the return game and that was Nixon. The Packers won 13 games with three straight seasons from 2019 to 2021 where they were near the bottom of the league in returning both kickoffs and punts.
This past season rookie Savion Williams was the leading kickoff returner, as he finished with 717 yards on 28 returns. He was one of 20 returners with at least 28 returns. Skyy Moore finished with 33 returns for 907 yards. On punts Romeo Doubs had 14 returns for 94 yards.
Packers Return Leaders Since 2019
Year Kickoff Return Leader Punt Return Leader
2019 Treyvon Smith 13, 303, 0 Tyler Ervin 11, 106, 0
2020 Darius Shepherd 11, 227, 0 Ervin 5, 20, 0
2021 Amari Rodgers 11, 199, 0 Amari Rodgers 20, 166, 0
2022 Keisan Nixon 35, 1009, 1 Rodgers 20, 139, 0
2023 Nixon 30*, 782*, 0 Nixon 14, 94, 0
2024 Nixon 18, 582, 0 Jayden Reed 14, 110, 0
2025 Savion Williams 28, 717, 0 Romeo Doubs 15, 94, 0
*NFL Leader
Moore had 291 yards on 25 punt returns, which would be the most for any Packers return man since the Mike McCarthy era. Trevor Davis finished with 289 yards in 2017. It’s possible the Packers found a player in free agency who can improve one of the team’s weakest positions since LaFleur became head coach in 2019.
What are the Packers getting in Moore?
Moore comes to the Packers as a 5th-year player, a former 2nd round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022. Moore came out of Western Michigan, the same school that produced Greg Jennings, with an impressive junior year with 96 catches, 1293 yards and 10 touchdowns.
However, in Kansas City Moore never caught on as a contributor at wide receiver. His best season was as a rookie with 22 catches for 250 yards. He did have a touchdown in the 4th quarter of the Chiefs Super Bowl win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
In three seasons in Kansas City, Moore had just 14 punt returns (all as a rookie in 2022) and only five total kickoff returns (in 2022 and 2023). Last season with San Francisco, it was his first year where he was a full-time return specialist. The result was the 5th best average (27.5) on kickoffs amongst returners with at least 26 kickoff returns. His 291 yards on punt returns was 11th best in the league.
Moore, who is still young at 25 years old, could finally be finding himself in a role that could keep him as a regular contributor in the NFL as a return specialist. And for the Packers, it is a position they have struggled to fill regularly for decades. It is possible that this signing will be one of the more impactful ones for the 2026 team.