Skyy Moore Is Giving the 49ers Something They Haven’t Had in Over a Decade - A Real Threat in the Return Game
SANTA CLARA - The 49ers haven’t had a punt return touchdown since 2011. That’s not a typo - it’s been that long. And if you ask Skyy Moore, he’s doing everything in his power to change that.
After another electric performance in Sunday’s win over the Browns, Moore didn’t shy away from the goal. “That’s what I’m chasing,” he said at his locker, still smiling from a 66-yard punt return that helped set the tone in a 26-8 victory. “Whatever comes between that, I’ll take it.”
That return - the longest of his career - set up the 49ers’ first touchdown of the game and gave a jolt to a team that’s heading into its bye week with momentum and a 9-4 record. And it’s not just a one-off.
Two weeks earlier, Moore ripped off a 98-yard kickoff return to open the game in Arizona. He didn’t score on that one either, but both plays have made one thing clear: Skyy Moore is turning into a serious weapon for San Francisco.
From Ball Security Concerns to Explosive Confidence
Moore landed in the Bay Area via an August trade with the Chiefs, a deal that cost the 49ers a 2027 sixth-round pick but also netted them a 2027 seventh-rounder. At the time, it wasn’t seen as a headline-grabbing move. But it’s aging well.
Early on, there were hiccups. He muffed a punt in the season opener, and ball security was a concern.
But since then? He’s locked in.
Especially in Cleveland, where conditions were cold and windy - the kind of weather that makes even routine returns tricky. The Browns, in fact, struggled in that same environment, muffing a punt and stepping out at their own 5-yard line on a kickoff.
Moore, meanwhile, was unfazed. His opening kickoff return went just 24 yards, but five minutes later, he broke loose for a 66-yard punt return that set up a Christian McCaffrey touchdown. That play put the Niners up 7-0 and set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
“I’m in that zone,” Moore said. “We’re getting better as a unit.”
Built for This
What’s made Moore stand out isn’t just the raw yardage - it’s how he runs. He hits the lane with purpose.
No hesitation. Full throttle.
“This entire year, any time he gets the ball, I just love the way he hits it,” said McCaffrey. “He’s built for this team. He plays with zero hesitation.”
That’s been a theme echoed throughout the locker room. Quarterback Brock Purdy kept it simple: “He’s the man.”
Even head coach Kyle Shanahan, not one to overhype, acknowledged the spark Moore has brought to the return game. “Skyy’s been awesome.
We keep saying we’ve been feeling him for a while now, getting better and better,” Shanahan said. “Every time he gets the ball, we feel he’s got a chance to go.”
Moore’s numbers back it up. He ranks fifth in the NFL in kick return average (28.1 yards) and sits 10th in punt return average (12.1 yards).
That kind of production isn’t just good - it’s field-flipping. And in a league where field position can swing games, Moore is giving the 49ers a hidden edge.
Still Chasing the End Zone
Moore hasn’t found paydirt yet, but he’s close - and he knows it. After Sunday’s game, he replayed a third return in his head, convinced he would’ve scored if the Browns’ punter had kicked the ball just a few more yards.
“If he would have kicked it five more yards, I was gone, because they blocked it perfect,” Moore said.
That’s the mindset of a returner who knows he’s on the brink. And his teammates see it too.
McCaffrey noted that for the first half of the season, they saw Moore doing everything right - hitting the lanes hard, showing the burst, making the right reads. It was just a matter of time before the big returns started to hit.
Now, they’re hitting.
And while the touchdown drought still technically stands - no return TDs since 2011 - Moore is doing more than just flirting with history. He’s changing the narrative.
Embracing the Role
At 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, Moore doesn’t look like a bruiser, but he plays with a physical edge that’s hard to miss. Shanahan said it best: “I watch Skyy hit those as hard as anyone and a lot of times I’m worried about him getting up after it.
But he continues to do that, continues to play with physicality and doesn’t hesitate and kind of embraces it. And when you have that skillset, with that mindset, it ends up being hard not to be successful at it.”
The 49ers haven’t had a return man like this in over a decade. Ted Ginn Jr. was the last to house a punt, and that was all the way back in the 2011 season opener - a game where he also returned a kickoff for a score. Since then, only Richie James has managed a return touchdown, and that came in 2018.
Moore’s not just trying to join that list - he’s trying to end the drought entirely. And if he keeps running the way he has been, it might not be long before he does.
One more good block. One more missed tackle.
One more crease. That’s all it’ll take.
And Skyy Moore looks ready.