With their triumph in Super Bowl LVII, the Kansas City Chiefs proved they didn't need a bona fide No. 1 receiver to win a title.
The Chiefs were truly the sum of their parts. Four different players scored touchdowns in the 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, including rookie receiver Skyy Moore.
That game was the high point of Moore's rookie season and included his first career TD. There's no better time to reach the end zone for the first time than the Super Bowl, but the Chiefs didn't spend a second-round pick on the Western Michigan standout to have him only score once, even if it was the biggest game of the year.
Luckily for both Moore and the Chiefs, it sounds as if he's starting to hit his stride as he enters his sophomore season.
"Skyy was one of the higher-targeted receivers," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Moore during minicamp, . "He had close to the most catches. I think he's taking a good jump. The quarterback trusts him. There's still a ton of room to climb. He's so willing, though."
Moore was asked to do a lot as a rookie, including playing multiple positions as Reid attempted to determine where the WR might best help the Chiefs immediately. As a result, he didn't see a ton of targets, finishing with 22 receptions on 33 chances for 250 yards.
But what Moore did receive was an quick education in playing receiver in the NFL. It might end up proving invaluable in the future.
"Coming into Year 2, I definitely have the hang of everything, just knowing the playbook, what (Patrick Mahomes) likes, coach Reid likes," Moore said earlier in June. "I knew what I needed to improve on. I found that out early in the season last year. I've been waiting for a long time because I knew what to correct.
"I just want to show (Mahomes), 'If you look this way, you won't be mad.' I'm going to be a reliable weapon for him."
Mahomes seems to agree and is hoping what he and the rest of the Chiefs are seeing from Moore serves as an indicator of what's ahead.
"Skyy is a great player, and I think you could see it at the end of last year, how he was picking the (plays) up and making big plays," Mahomes said. "That just transitioned right into this (offseason). He's someone that's going to be called upon more, kind of in that same (slot) role that probably JuJu (Smith-Schuster) was in. He can also go over the top and make plays happen."
Smith-Schuster played well enough in such a role to attract a new opportunity from the Patriots, signing a three-year contract worth $25.5 million one year after he latched onto the Chiefs on a one-year, prove-it deal.
Should Moore blossom in a similar manner, the Chiefs will be validated in spending a second-round pick on him. It just might include another ring, too.
