SANTA CLARA – After the 49ers traded for Skyy Moore on Thursday, general manager John Lynch detailed what he liked about his game while sharing that he believes the wide receiver needed a fresh start.
Two days later, while speaking to reporters after San Francisco’s 30-23 preseason win over the Los Angeles Chargers at Levi’s Stadium, Moore repeated those two words three times in three minutes.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what it is. It’s a fresh start,” Moore said. “New city, new team. I feel like I get to learn again and put the fun back in the game. Not that I lost it, but just another adventure, I’d say. And the guys, what I’ve seen so far, they accepted me. And all the veteran guys and all the coaches helped me make that transition as smooth as possible.”
Moore arrived to the Bay on Thursday and got one practice in before his 49ers debut. But Kyle Shanahan’s offense requires more than one practice and two days to learn and fully digest.
That was evident for Moore in Saturday’s game, as he struggled early to get on the same page with 49ers backup quarterback Carter Bradley. The 24-year-old receiver dropped the first two passes intended for him, resulting in consecutive three-and-outs for San Francisco on the first two drives.
Moore admitted postgame that he was “confused out there a little bit” at times, and while he knows his showing wasn’t the smoothest debut, he is confident that with a little time he’ll be able to pick it up and execute.
To be fair, most of the 49ers’ offense struggled early, but Moore showed his versatility with special teams value. He was the starting punt returner for the 49ers on Saturday and held that role through the first half, which wasn’t a great sign for Junior Bergen, especially after Bergen’s muffed punt that likely ruined his chances at cracking the team’s 53-man roster that will be set Tuesday.
Moore fielded three punts for 16 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per return. He also had a 26-yard kick return.
While most of Moore’s time in Kansas City is easy to forget, a few plays in particular that helped the Chiefs become Super Bowl champions in 2023 are forever memorable. Moore returned a punt 29 yards to set up the Chiefs’ game-winning field goal in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He then followed that big play up with the game-winning touchdown pass in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Shanahan said Moore was a player the 49ers’ decision makers have liked since the receiver was in college at Western Michigan, so he was happy to acquire him this week. The coach added that he though Moore did a “good job” Saturday, given how late he came in and had to learn the system.
Moore never quite lived up to the expectations since the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
In three seasons in Kansas City, Moore caught just 43 passes for 494 yards and one touchdown, with those numbers coming from his first two seasons under Andy Reid. In 2024, he appeared in just six games and caught zero passes on three targets while battling through a core muscle injury that eventually landed him on injured reserve.
Essentially, the writing was on the wall for Moore in Kansas City. They knew it. And he knew it.
“Yeah, I feel like I definitely needed a fresh start,” Moore said. “I found myself in my head a lot over in Kansas City. And, you know, that’s never good. I feel like today, it was just like let it loose and just go out and play because I don’t know anything anyway.
“So it’s like, I got to just play ball.”
Moore’s versatility extends beyond his receiving and special teams abilities. The fourth-year pro has a rushing average of 7.8 yards per carry in his career, so Shanahan could have a few tricks up his sleeve when it comes to how he’ll use Moore.
As a two-time Super Bowl champion, his versatility, experience and the knowledge absorbed from being around some of the best in business in Kansas City can only benefit the 49ers, especially a depleted wide receivers room filled with injuries and unknowns.
Moore said he hasn’t yet had the time to explore his new home in the Bay, half-joking that he’s been locked in on the whiteboard since touching down in Santa Clara.
And while he takes the time to eventually get to know the area, he wanted the Faithful to know one thing about him.
“Really that I’m a team guy,” he said. “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 do, play running back. I’m here for the team.
“So I just want to carve my role out and just be the best I can be.”
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
Read the full article here
