KC Chiefs’ Skyy Moore trending in right direction on recovery from hamstring injury
The Kansas City Chiefs completed their final week of voluntary organized team activities and there’s good news on the injury front.
Rookie wide receiver Skyy Moore, the Chiefs’ first of two second-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, participated in team drills for the first time.
“He has been doing a lot more,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Thursday. “He’s doing a good job of understanding what we’re trying to get done.”
Moore had been dealing with a hamstring injury, which limited him in the Chiefs’ three-day rookie minicamp in early May and the previous two weeks of OTAs. He was observed going through just stretching and conditioning, and then individual position drills during those periods.
Thursday, though, saw Moore, who is wearing a sleeve on his left upper thigh, extending his workload from individual position drills to 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 on-field work.
“Now, it’s just the matter of the reps and catching up with the other guys,” Reid said.
Barring a setback, the Chiefs will continue to get a good look at what their second-round pick can do in the offense during next week’s three-day mandatory minicamp on June 14-16.
Moore wasn’t the only player appearing to get in more work.
Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (knee) and tight end Jody Fortson, who is returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in Week 6 of the 2021 regular season, also went through team drills. While Reid doesn’t go too much into injuries during the offseason, the two players appeared to be limited on the field in previous weeks before Thursday’s participation level.
“A couple of the guys that are nicked up are working their way back in, which is good,” Reid said.
PARTICIPATION REPORT
Wide receiver Mecole Hardman (hamstring), offensive tackle Lucas Niang (knee), cornerback Rashad Fenton (shoulder), wide receiver Daurice Fountain, defensive end Frank Clark, defensive tackle Chris Jones and rookie wide receiver Justyn Ross were not observed on the field Thursday.
Rookie safety Nazeeh Johnson was on the field, but stood off to the side wearing a baseball cap and observing the workouts.
Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., who is franchised tagged and not under contract, was not present, as expected.
OBSERVATIONS
The Chiefs’ media rules during OTAs prohibit the reporting of personnel groupings (first- or second- or third-team units), specific formations/alignments, trick plays, situational plays and statistics.
What is allowed, however, are general observations about head-turning and notable plays, such as:
- Quarterback Patrick Mahomes made an incredible no-look pass to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling during team drills. Mahomes rolled to his left, looked to his right, and then threw across his body to his left to Valdes-Scantling, who made the play more impressive by making a one-handed grab near the left sideline.
- Mahomes threw a pass more than 50 yards in the air down the left sideline into the waiting arms of wide receiver Josh Gordon, who got behind rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson during team drills.
- Safety Juan Thornhill broke up a pass during 11-on-11 drills against wide receiver Matthew Sexton, who broke across the middle of the field. Thornhill closed the distance and reached over Sexton without making contact to bat the ball away.
- Defensive tackle Khalen Saunders displayed his jumping ability during team drills. He recorded a pass breakup by leaping at the line of scrimmage to bat down a pass, and then turned to the offensive sideline and flexed.
- Former Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers, who played six seasons in Kansas City (2008-13), took in practice as a guest of the team. Flowers also officially retired from the NFL as a Chief, the team announced.
This story was originally published June 9, 2022 at 3:57 PM with the headline "KC Chiefs’ Skyy Moore trending in right direction on recovery from hamstring injury."
