In college, Skyy Moore practiced keeping both feet in bounds

While the Kansas City Chiefs lost their first preseason game 19-14 to the Chicago Bears on Saturday, they were many positives among the performances of their young players.

Among those was the one from rookie wide receiver Skyy Moore, who was a second-round pick in April’s draft. In all, Moore caught three passes for 23 yards — but one play stood out. With the team running a two-minute offense as the first half closed, Moore caught a pass at the sideline from third-string quarterback Shane Buechele, showing veteran-level concentration by keeping both feet in bounds.

Speaking from the team’s training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph on Tuesday, Moore explained that he didn’t have to mentally adjust to the change from the single-foot college rule — because he has been practicing using the NFL’s sideline catch definition for years.

“I just always do that,” he said. “I just always tried to get two feet in since I was a freshman in college. It didn’t really seem like that big of a deal when I did it — but it was, definitely.

“It’s just a habit. We need one foot [in college], but I’m going to try to get two feet — because I’m eventually going to have to get two feet.”

With the pressure of his first game action with the Chiefs behind him, Moore claimed to have a new perspective on what he sees in practice.

“The last few days [have] been good,” said Moore. “First of all, it was great to get that under my belt and play my first pro game. The last couple of days, I’ve just been trying to clean up the things that I need to clean up so I can have a better performance [in the] next game.”

Moore’s next game will be his first appearance at Arrowhead Stadium in front of the team’s fans. He is ready to see them live up to their reputation.

“I’m anticipating it being electric,” predicted the Western Michigan product, “because that’s what everyone around here just talks about. They say GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is the best stadium in the league. And I’m going to take their word for it until I see otherwise.”

While Moore did not record a rushing attempt on Saturday, he has frequently been reported to have practiced handoffs and sweeps in training camp — mirroring the early-career plays designed for wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman. Moore is ready for whatever the coaches plan for him.

“I like getting the ball, period,” he declared. “It doesn’t really matter how I get it. I enjoy having the ball.”

Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

One new way Moore might have the ball is as the primary punt returner. Though he did not work in the return game at Western Michigan, the Chiefs have rotated him in as a punt returner throughout camp. Against Chicago on Saturday, Moore returned a punt for 12 yards.

“They said I did pretty well,” he reported, “as far as fielding everything. But I’ve probably got to be a little bit more aggressive. I let one bounce in the red zone. I’ve probably got to field that and be more aggressive with that one. But I think I did pretty good that day.”

Moore made no secret that learning to return punts at this stage of his development is not easy.

“Getting a feel for it — and seeing how the ball is going to land — there’s just a whole lot that goes into it that people don’t realize,” he noted.

As camp comes to a close — and preparation begins for the games that matter — Moore appreciates the winning environment of his new team.

“It’s a Super Bowl mentality,” he acknowledged. “Every day is going to be a grind. Get better every day — and we’re working to win.”