Since trading Tyreek Hill in the 2022 offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs have found themselves on an annual sojourn for a bona fide replacement at wide receiver.
One of the first to fall short of fulfilling expectations was 2022 NFL Draft second-round pick Skyy Moore.
Now it's Moore who will be aiming for a fresh start after the Chiefs traded him and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round draft choice, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported.
Following just 11 starts and 43 receptions in three seasons with Kansas City, Moore emerged as a cut candidate this year, but instead will look to provide the 49ers with some much-needed depth in an injury-plagued wide receiver room.
Niners wideout Brandon Aiyuk is expected to miss at least the first six weeks of the upcoming season as he recovers from a season-ending knee injury, last season's No. 1 Jauan Jennings is dealing with a calf ailment and unhappy with his contract and Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing are hampered by injuries, as well.
Plus, coach Kyle Shanahan announced on Wednesday that wideout Demarcus Robinson is expected to be suspended for the first three games of the regular season due to violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Entering the final season of his rookie contract, Moore's exit from K.C. is hardly surprising, though getting traded is somewhat.
The proverbial writing was on the wall long ago for him leaving the Chiefs, as Moore was battling for a role as the No. 6 or 7 receiver on the depth chart and recently missed time with a hamstring injury. Perhaps most emblematic of Moore's time with the Chiefs was his performance in Week 2 of the preseason against the Seattle Seahawks. He had a combination of drops and bobbles on offense and special teams before finishing the game with an 88-yard punt return for a touchdown. The potential was always there, but consistent production never was.
Kansas City marched to its third straight Super Bowl appearance last season, but Moore was a nonfactor. He saw action in just six games, with zero receptions on three targets and only two kick returns for 43 yards' worth of special teams contributions. He missed the final 11 games of last season and each playoff game after he was placed on injured reserve with a core muscle injury.
Symbolic of Moore's diminishing role is that the Chiefs won two Super Bowls and played in 10 postseason games during his time. However, Moore played in just three playoff games -- all as a rookie. That included what's easily his most memorable moment as a Chief, hauling in a 4-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVII. The fourth-quarter score and ensuing extra point put the Chiefs up, 35-27, en route to an eventual 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, Moore will turn the page and look to buoy the 49ers. He'll turn 25 on Sept. 10, so he should still have some fresh legs under him.
