Few players will ever experience the sort of in-game rollercoaster that Skyy Moore did on Friday night in Seattle. As the Kansas City Chiefs were in town to play the Seahawks for their second preseason game, Moore found himself going from zero to hero within a single half. And he took fans along for the ride.
Before getting into the actual ups and downs of Moore's night, it's important to note the context. After all, Moore has been the biggest punching bag on the Chiefs roster for quite some time—likely since Kadarius Toney was let go.
Moore was the Chiefs' second-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Western Michigan, a prospect who earned strong pre-draft reviews for a well-rounded skill set that should have allowed him to succeed as an auxiliary target at the pro level. While there were ceiling concerns, the floor appeared to be impressive.
A single night in Seattle summarized the entire Skyy Moore experience with the Chiefs.
That's not how things have turned out after three seasons in the NFL—three seasons, by the way, with Andy Reid as his head coach and Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback. Instead, his tenure with the Chiefs has been plagued by drops, mental errors, injuries, and ineffective play. Even when on the field, he's rarely targeted, showing the lack of trust and chemistry in the offense.
Coming into the 2024 campaign, Moore felt like an obvious bubble candidate, a player hoping for a last-ditch effort to make the roster in the face of a crowded receiving room. After two years of talent concerns and injury issues, Moore was now competing with new faces and roster locks returning from time missed.
That amplifies the importance of Moore's efforts in preseason games. Unfortunately, Moore was clearly struggling under the mental weight of it all. Through the majority of the game, the online conversation around Moore centered on one mistep after another, frustrating drops on simple checkdown throws or passes that literally hit him in the chest.
Then came the play of the night. Late in the fourth quarter, with the Chiefs down 33-10 on the road in a miserably late game, Moore fielded a punt at the 12-yard line and proceeded to take it 88 yards for an exhilarating touchdown.
Skyy Moore goes 88 yards on the punt return for six!
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— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
Just like that the narrative had changed, or at least had a positive turn. Not only did Moore provide the play of the game for Kansas City but it came when he was at his lowest. In fact, the story found greater meaning knowing his teammates had encouraged him shortly before taking it to the house.
Chiefs' Rashee Rice & Isiah Pacheco came up to Skyy Moore on sideline before he went out for a 4th-quarter punt return after 2 previous WR drops. "You take this back to the house, and nobody will remember none of that," they told him. Moore took ensuing punt 88 yards for a TD.
— Jesse Newell (@jessenewell) August 16, 2025
Following the game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters about Moore's tempestuous night.
"Yeah, listen, he had a couple of drops, that's not like him," said Reid. "He's a lot better than that. So he had the three kind of bobbles and drops in special teams and with throws, and then he came back with a big play. So I'm proud of him for that. It wasn't his best night up to that point."
Moore also addressed the peaks and valleys of his night in Seattle. He spoke with Jesse Newell of The Athletic and said, "Everybody that plays in this league goes through those mental obstacles. And I feel like it's about how you deal with them. Whether you win or lose, man, you've just got to keep getting up and keep going."
Moore's fate feels sealed at this point in the preseason, even after such an exciting touchdown return. But any positive momentum will help him find a way to push forward, both mentally against the pressure he's feeling and potentially toward a second chance.