Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore is quickly learning the ropes on and off the field as a rookie in the NFL.
On Tuesday, the Chiefs trimmed their roster down to 53 players as they prepare for the season opener Sept. 11 at Arizona. Moore, the team’s second-round pick, was not among the cuts and made the team. Still, Moore couldn’t help but be reminded how fleeting an NFL career can be.
“This is really a business,” Moore said. “And you can’t take anything for granted. You have to go out and put your best stuff on film while you can.”
Moore has certainly done that, and the Chiefs are counting on him to help replace Tyreek Hill on offense and possibly special teams. Although it was just preseason, Moore had three catches for 23 yards against the Bears, and in the preseason finale against the Packers, Moore returned two punts for 51 yards.
“I feel like I’m happy with where I’m at as far as the playbook and how comfortable I am at this point,” Moore said. “But I also know there’s so much more room for me to grow and so many things for me to unlock as far as being the player I want to be.”
Moore, one of nine rookies the Chiefs drafted who made the team, said one area he can improve on is thinking too much.
“Right now, it’s just getting back to my normal self and not thinking about anything,” Moore said. “I want to get the thinking too much out of the whole equation. That’s No. 1 on my list. I want to react, that’s all I want to do.”
Moore had quite the reaction last Saturday night when he initially got stuck with a $22,000 restaurant tab after veteran receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling had a waitress bring him the bill for the team’s rookies’ dinner. Turns out it was a prank, and Moore didn’t have to spend a dime.
The total bill was around $3,000, but there were several hectic minutes where Moore’s credit card got declined twice and he had to call his financial advisor — much to the delight of the Chiefs’ veterans.
Moore, however, said he is glad to have that rookie experience behind him and is now looking forward to making his NFL regular season debut.
“I’ll just keep preparing how I’ve been preparing,” Moore said. “Just keep staying on top of my playbook, staying on top of my conditioning and workouts and making sure my hands are right. So just normal preparation. I’m really excited about my first Week 1 game and I’m just excited to get the ball rolling.”
DAWSON TRIBUTE PLANNED
The Chiefs will honor Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and broadcaster Len Dawson, who died last week at age 87, with a tribute from 1-9 p.m. Thursday at the team’s Hall of Honor at Arrowhead Stadium.
The tribute is free and open to the public. Fans will be directed down the spiral ramp and into the Hall of Honor. A tribute to Dawson will also play on the stadium video boards.
“We believe it’s important to provide Chiefs Kingdom and the Kansas City community an opportunity to honor the life and legacy of Len Dawson,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement. “My family and I would like to invite fans to celebrate Len’s many contributions to the Chiefs and the game of professional football as well as his unwavering commitment to his adopted hometown of Kansas City.
“There is no more revered place inside GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium than the new Hall of Honor, and we believe this will offer a fitting tribute for our great fans to remember one of the legends of the game.”
