‘No. 1 on my list’: Kansas City Chiefs rookie focused on improving in this way
Kansas City Chiefs rookie receiver Skyy Moore feels good about his progress roughly two weeks ahead of the team’s season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
But the second-round draft pick aspires to be in an even better place.
“I feel like I’m happy with where I’m at as far as the playbook and everything and how comfortable I am at this point. But I also know there’s so much more room for me to grow,” Moore said. “And so many things for me to unlock as far as being the player I want to be.”
The most significant pursuit for now? Trying to get everything he does on offense to become second nature.
“It’s just getting back to my normal self, not thinking about anything. I can get the play from the huddle and go and think about how I’m gonna score, instead of thinking about what route I have,” Moore said. “Just thinking too much. I want to get the thinking out of the whole equation. So that’s No. 1 on my list.”
Moore was mostly quiet production-wise during the preseason. He had three catches for 23 yards against the Chicago Bears in the opener, but after that, he had no receptions in the Chiefs’ contests against Washington and Green Bay (though he did draw a pass-interference call against the Commanders).
Then again, he wasn’t out there much. Moore logged 18 snaps against Washington and then just 10 against Green Bay, with the Chiefs likely trying to keep him healthy as their projected No. 4 wideout.
Nevertheless, Moore says he can see how much he’s advanced since arriving at rookie minicamp in May. At the time, he also was dealing with a hamstring tweak.
“My head was still spinning, just thinking I knew, but I didn’t know,” Moore said of understanding the Chiefs’ offense. “But I’m a ways from that. So it’s like I’m far away from home, but I’m not where I want to be yet. That’s just how I look at that.”
Those around him have been impressed by Moore’s desire to learn.
That includes quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who had the seat in front of Moore during film sessions at training camp and often whispered to the rookie if he had questions about a route or play.
“A lot of times rookies are just trying to figure out how can they get to the right spot as fast as possible, but he can recognize the coverage and ask if he has the freedom to do this, this and this,” Mahomes said of Moore in early August. “Those are questions you want to hear from your receivers.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid complimented Moore toward the end of training camp, saying he enjoyed teaching him the offense.
“Skyy wants to know everything. He’s been put in with some veteran guys here who are also new,” Reid said in mid-August. “And he’s like a sponge with it.”
An accurate measure of Moore’s development will come soon, as he’s set to make his NFL debut on Sept. 11 at Arizona.
And if things go to plan? He’ll find himself with the same comfort level he had during his final year at Western Michigan.
“I just want to react,” Moore said. “That’s all I want to do.”
This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
