Skyy Moore faced a very familiar foe on Saturday night, but his own uniform must have looked quite odd.
The former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver took the field for another team for the first time in the San Francisco 49ers third preseason game. They placed Moore's former division rivals, the San Diego Chargers, and came away with a 30-23 victory at Levi's Stadium.
For Moore, the exhibition was an official turning of the page, a chance to start fresh after three frustrating seasons in Kansas City. Moore was the Chiefs' second-round choice in the 2022 NFL Draft, and while the rest of the class has largely succeeded on the field, Moore was never able to find his rhythm in the offense.
Skyy Moore's debut with the 49ers came with the ups and downs expected with a new arrival.
"Yeah, I definitely felt like I needed a fresh start," said Moore to reporters after the game. "I found myself in my head a lot in Kansas City, and that’s never good."
Moore's first night with the Niners came with mixed results, which is to be expected since he'd been given no time to learn the playbook. He caught 3 of 6 targets, which included some tough drops as well as solid gains. Moore also had the 49ers longest kick return on the night, although the competiiton wasn't steep since it was only a 26-yard effort.
When it was clear that Moore wasn't going to make the team in his fourth and final training camp in Kansas City, they traded him to the 49ers for a late-round draft swap in 2027. The deal gives the Chiefs a sixth-round choice in '27 in exchange for Moore and a seventh-round selection.
For the Chiefs, the Moore trade at least brought back something for a player who was going to get cut before active rosters were due. Tyquan Thornton, Nikko Remigio, and Jason Brownlee had all made life too difficult on the Chiefs depth chart for him to make the 53-man roster once again.
However, 49ers head coach Mike Shanahan spoke highly of the deal and his debut with the team.
“I was happy to get him," said Shanahan. "He’s a guy that we liked in college coming out. I thought he did a good job tonight, especially coming in a day ago. He was able to learn enough to line up and do some third-down stuff, play the F-role for us. I thought he did a decent job with the returns also.”
After the game, Moore stressed he was ready to help the 49ers in whatever capacity he could, happy to find a home for the 2025 season.
"I'm a team guy," said Moore. "I'm going to do whatever the team needs, whether it’s special teams, whether it’s getting two catches a game, whatever they want me to play, running back. I'm here for the team. I just want to carve my role out and be the best I can be.”