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Rewatching all of Skyy Moore's snaps as a returner and receiver for the San Francisco 49ers in 2025 made clear a few things: the Green Bay Packers are getting a big upgrade in the return game, and it shouldn't come as a surprise if Moore is getting a handful of snaps at wide receiver for Matt LaFleur each week this season.
Moore, a former second-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, signed a one-year deal with the Packers early on in free agency. While not necessarily guaranteed to make the 53-man roster, Moore did receive a $1 million signing bonus from the Packers, and he has incentives tied into his deal that could push the one-year value over $4 million. The Packers clearly see Moore as a player who can make the team and help them in 2026.
Moore's most obvious path to value in Green Bay is as a returner. Last season in San Francisco, Moore returned 37 kickoffs for 997 yards, averaging 26.8 yards per return with a long of 98 yards, and also returned 30 punts for 307 yards, averaging 10.2 yards per return with a long of 66 yards. Both of his long returns were stopped short of the end zone but set up short touchdowns for the 49ers.
The film review of Moore's return opportunities in 2025 showed a quietly confident returner who consistently made the first man miss as a punt returner and who consistently found the right gap or opening in the kickoff coverage. He is not jitterbug quick, nor is he a track star with elite long speed. But Moore has the evasiveness to wiggle free in confined areas, an important part of returning punts in the NFL, and he's plenty fast enough to turn an opening into a chunk gain. As both a punt and kickoff returner, Moore runs hard, goes north-south, understands setting up blocks, rarely chases the big play and always gets what's blocked. He occasionally rips off an explosive return, but he is consistently a positive in terms of improving field position.
Another encouraging sign: Moore improved as a returner throughout the season, and after a few shaky moments early -- a muff on a punt, a couple of muffs on squib kicks and a couple of punt catches inside the 5-yard line -- he settled in and was reliable for the 49ers the rest of the way.
Needless to say, Moore is likely to provide an immediate upgrade for the Packers special teams. He is, at the very least, a slight upgrade on Savion Williams on kickoff returns and a massive upgrade on Romeo Doubs on punt returns. It won't be surprising if Moore and Williams are the two-deep returners on kicks and Moore handles all the punt returns in 2026.
While Moore ended up as a bust as a receiver in Kansas City, don't rule out him playing a role for LaFleur in Green Bay. Moore played over 100 snaps on offense for the 49ers in 2025, and his tape shows a receiver with an appetite and willingness to block in the run game and the vision to create as a gadget option. On one explosive run, Moore sought out and blocked the single-high safety -- creating at least five extra yards downfield for the running back. On another, he dug out the backside defensive back, creating a cutback lane for another big run. Against the Chicago Bears late in the season, Moore turned an end-around into an explosive run when he followed his blocking and used his vision as a returner to find the opening.
For LaFleur, run blocking and gadget potential can get you on the field as a wide receiver. Moore might open and start training camp as the sixth receiver on the depth chart, but his expected job as a returner should ensure he's on the gameday 48-man roster, and LaFleur has consistently shown a willingness to use any and all receivers in specific roles week to week -- especially if they can be relied upon to block in the run game. Moore is not only coming from a Shanahan system, but he showed last season that he's willing to do some of the dirty work to get on the field. In the Shanahan/LaFleur offenses, if you can carve out a role as a blocker for LaFleur, you'll also eventually see a target or two off play-action looks.
It's a bit perplexing why the 49ers did not retain Moore. He is a no-nonsense returner who consistently created positive field position plays (and a few explosive plays too) while also providing a fairly valuable skillset as a down-the-depth-chart wide receiver. San Francisco's loss is Green Bay's gain. Based on his 2025 tape, Moore should be expected to make the team as the primary returner, providing a fairly clear (and potentially massive) upgrade over what the Packers had on special teams last season. And his versatility on offense will likely be endearing to LaFleur, opening the door to a limited role as a blocker/gadget/play-action threat at receiver.
Realistically, Moore is probably not going to be a game-changer for the Packers, but the improvement he promises in the return game is enough to make him one of the most impactful additions to Green Bay's roster for 2026.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers Skyy Moore free agent breakdown returner receiver signing
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Moore, a former second-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, signed a one-year deal with the Packers early on in free agency. While not necessarily guaranteed to make the 53-man roster, Moore did receive a $1 million signing bonus from the Packers, and he has incentives tied into his deal that could push the one-year value over $4 million. The Packers clearly see Moore as a player who can make the team and help them in 2026.
Moore's most obvious path to value in Green Bay is as a returner. Last season in San Francisco, Moore returned 37 kickoffs for 997 yards, averaging 26.8 yards per return with a long of 98 yards, and also returned 30 punts for 307 yards, averaging 10.2 yards per return with a long of 66 yards. Both of his long returns were stopped short of the end zone but set up short touchdowns for the 49ers.
Skyy Moore with a big punt return of 66 yards
SFvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVntpic.twitter.com/w9Hf3MpyOx
— NFL (@NFL) November 30, 2025
The film review of Moore's return opportunities in 2025 showed a quietly confident returner who consistently made the first man miss as a punt returner and who consistently found the right gap or opening in the kickoff coverage. He is not jitterbug quick, nor is he a track star with elite long speed. But Moore has the evasiveness to wiggle free in confined areas, an important part of returning punts in the NFL, and he's plenty fast enough to turn an opening into a chunk gain. As both a punt and kickoff returner, Moore runs hard, goes north-south, understands setting up blocks, rarely chases the big play and always gets what's blocked. He occasionally rips off an explosive return, but he is consistently a positive in terms of improving field position.
Another encouraging sign: Moore improved as a returner throughout the season, and after a few shaky moments early -- a muff on a punt, a couple of muffs on squib kicks and a couple of punt catches inside the 5-yard line -- he settled in and was reliable for the 49ers the rest of the way.
Needless to say, Moore is likely to provide an immediate upgrade for the Packers special teams. He is, at the very least, a slight upgrade on Savion Williams on kickoff returns and a massive upgrade on Romeo Doubs on punt returns. It won't be surprising if Moore and Williams are the two-deep returners on kicks and Moore handles all the punt returns in 2026.
While Moore ended up as a bust as a receiver in Kansas City, don't rule out him playing a role for LaFleur in Green Bay. Moore played over 100 snaps on offense for the 49ers in 2025, and his tape shows a receiver with an appetite and willingness to block in the run game and the vision to create as a gadget option. On one explosive run, Moore sought out and blocked the single-high safety -- creating at least five extra yards downfield for the running back. On another, he dug out the backside defensive back, creating a cutback lane for another big run. Against the Chicago Bears late in the season, Moore turned an end-around into an explosive run when he followed his blocking and used his vision as a returner to find the opening.
For LaFleur, run blocking and gadget potential can get you on the field as a wide receiver. Moore might open and start training camp as the sixth receiver on the depth chart, but his expected job as a returner should ensure he's on the gameday 48-man roster, and LaFleur has consistently shown a willingness to use any and all receivers in specific roles week to week -- especially if they can be relied upon to block in the run game. Moore is not only coming from a Shanahan system, but he showed last season that he's willing to do some of the dirty work to get on the field. In the Shanahan/LaFleur offenses, if you can carve out a role as a blocker for LaFleur, you'll also eventually see a target or two off play-action looks.
It's a bit perplexing why the 49ers did not retain Moore. He is a no-nonsense returner who consistently created positive field position plays (and a few explosive plays too) while also providing a fairly valuable skillset as a down-the-depth-chart wide receiver. San Francisco's loss is Green Bay's gain. Based on his 2025 tape, Moore should be expected to make the team as the primary returner, providing a fairly clear (and potentially massive) upgrade over what the Packers had on special teams last season. And his versatility on offense will likely be endearing to LaFleur, opening the door to a limited role as a blocker/gadget/play-action threat at receiver.
Realistically, Moore is probably not going to be a game-changer for the Packers, but the improvement he promises in the return game is enough to make him one of the most impactful additions to Green Bay's roster for 2026.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers Skyy Moore free agent breakdown returner receiver signing
Continue reading...
