When Skyy Moore came to San Francisco in an August trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, few knew what to expect.
The 49ers sent a 2027 sixth-rounder to Kansas City in exchange for Moore and a 2027 seventh, and with five games remaining in the regular season, it’s fair to say the trade worked out in San Francisco’s favor.
After three uneven seasons in Kansas City, where he had just 43 catches for 494 yards and one regular season touchdown, Moore needed a fresh start, and he got that and more in the Bay Area. He hasn’t been a volume receiver for the Niners, but he may have found his niche as a return specialist.
Through 13 games of the 2025 season, Moore has become a key part of San Francisco’s special teams resurgence. He has returned 25 kicks for 703 yards, averaging a whopping 28.1 yards per return. His longest so far is a 98-yarder. His 28.1-yard average is second-best in the NFL among players with 25+ returns. Moore also has 21 punt returns for 254 yards, (12.1 yards per return), with a long of 66 yards. Trouble is, San Francisco may not be able to keep him beyond this year.
Moore Has Been a Game-Changer for the Niners on Special Teams
GettySkyy Moore of the San Francisco 49ers has become an elite return specialist. Can the Niners re-sign him in 2026?
Moore’s impact in San Francisco stands in stark contrast to his Chiefs tenure. Drafted 54th overall in 2022 out of Western Michigan, he was initially viewed as a potential heir to Tyreek Hill. That didn’t pan out.
The 25-year-old WR had 22 catches for 250 yards as a rookie, then 21 for 244 yards and a touchdown in 2023 before a core muscle injury derailed his 2024 campaign, limiting him to six games and no catches. He occasionally flashed as a returner in Kansas City, but had only five regular-season kick returns for 93 yards across three seasons.
He has been a treat to watch in the return game for San Francisco thus far.
Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals, Moore opened the game with a 98-yard kickoff return, getting dragged down just shy of the end zone, setting up an immediate 49ers touchdown. Two weeks later in Cleveland, he ripped off a 66-yard punt return, teeing up an early Christian McCaffrey score in what became a 26–8 San Francisco rout.
Will San Francisco 49ers Be Able to Re-Sign WR Skyy Moore in 2026?
In San Francisco, Moore hasn’t lit it up as a receiver (he has four catches for 64 yards), but his impact on special teams has been undeniable.
“I think that he is a real good player. This guy’s been a talented player for a while, and he has been able to stay healthy, and he keeps getting opportunities because of how good he is and because he works at it,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said about Moore on December 1.
“I think it’s a unique trait for people in this world to have that speed and to not be a bigger guy and to not hesitate on those kick returns, but that’s why there’s not many people in the world who are that good at them,” the Niners coach added.
“I don’t get how you can be successful as a kick returner if you do hesitate. Those lanes you got to hit full speed and they close very fast. So, if you’re not like that, rarely do you stay out there. … And when you have that skillset, with that mindset, it ends up being hard not to be successful at it.”
The 49ers are set to have just under $35 million in cap space in 2026, per Over the Cap. That’s not bad, but 14 other teams will have more money to spend in free agency. The cap is changeable and fluid, of course, but there’s no doubt Moore has elevated his stock with his return skills. Other teams are going to come calling, and he’ll be willing to listen. Time will tell if GM John Lynch will be able to compete with those offers.
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