Peter King Predicts Chiefs WR Skyy Moore ‘Breaks Through’ in 2023

In his famous Football Morning in America column, King details Moore's work with Patrick Mahomes and picks him to have a big season.

The Kansas City Chiefs' offense is relying on a mostly unproven wide receiver room to carry some all-important weight in 2023, and second-year man Skyy Moore has as high of expectations placed on him as just about anyone.

Gone are the days when someone like Tyreek Hill could shoulder the load in terms of receptions, yards or touchdowns. Heck, even JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, players who emerged as contributors and intriguing weapons for Patrick Mahomes, are out the door. Left is a cast filled with returners from 2022 and newcomers for 2023, and the club's first preseason game showed that the unit is seven or eight members deep when it comes to workable contributors. Moore, who played just six snaps against the New Orleans Saints, slots in somewhere in the top three.

In the spring, for the second offseason in a row, Mahomes hosted as many pass-catchers as he could down in Texas for group workouts. It allowed the Chiefs to conduct the first phase of their offseason program in a somewhat unorthodox fashion, yet it also provided the quarterback and his receivers with plenty of time to build chemistry. Moore grew more and more comfortable with Mahomes, and the bar is high as he enters year No. 2. 

In Peter King's weekly 'Football Morning in America' column on NBC Sports, Mahomes spoke about Moore's work ethic and dedication: 

This spring, Moore was tied to his hip in Texas workouts. “I had all the guys down there in Texas for over a month-and-a-half. Skyy was at every single workout. I mean, every single one. Wanted to get extra work after every single practice. He has that drive to be great.” First two throws in Friday team periods: Mahomes to Moore, one go route, one seam.

Moore has been open about his struggles as a rookie, and they were obvious on the field. Not only was the jump from Western Michigan to the NFL as a second-round pick a serious leap, but everything that came with it was as well. Learning a complicated playbook with multiple duties required, adapting to a special teams role and dealing with waning confidence all put Moore through the wringer during his first year on the job. He feels much more comfortable entering his sophomore campaign, and the work he's put in is a major influence in that newfound belief.

Coming off a season that saw him haul in just 22 passes for 250 yards and no regular-season touchdowns, Moore can only improve in his second season in Kansas City. With the aforementioned two veteran wideouts having departed for other teams, there's also a very clear path to increased playing time. That, combined with the connection with Mahomes, is why King is picking Moore to break out and enjoy a big-time season: 

Kansas City’s practice Friday morning was a tempo affair. New names, some brand new, all over the offense. With Tyreek Hill, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman having vanished in the last 17 months, Mahomes still has the omnipresent Travis Kelce to lean on. But on this day every other guy he targeted in the passing game had worn KC red for no more than 1.5 year. Go route to Skyy Moore (round two, 2022), deep out to Marquez Valdes-Scantling (UFA, joined KC in 2022), crosser to Rashee Rice (round two, 2023), fade to Justin Watson (UFA, joined KC in 2022). The faster the better. With Reid’s offense, every skill player’s alive on every play, and Mahomes doesn’t discriminate. My bet: Skyy Moore, more sure-handed and confident this year, breaks through with a big year.

Read More: Four Takeaways From the Chiefs' 26-24 Loss to the Saints