In a season where quarterback depth is poised to be as pivotal as it's ever been, the defending Super Bowl champions are bringing back a familiar face. The Kansas City Chiefs have re-signed quarterback Matt Moore to a one-year deal, according to Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports. This will be Moore's second season with the Chiefs after being with the club throughout its run to a Super Bowl LIV title last year. Moore originally signed on with K.C. last August following an injury to fellow backup Chad Henne that found him on injured reserve.
Hours after making the move, the Chiefs released rookie quarterback Shea Patterson, according to ESPN's Field Yates. Patterson went undrafted out of Michigan and signed with Kansas City after the draft.
Moore's presence proved to be extremely valuable for the Chiefs following franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffering a knee injury during a Thursday Night Football matchup against the Broncos last season. Moore finished that Week 7 contest completing 10 of his 19 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown en route to a Chiefs win. He went on to start the following two games for Kansas City as Mahomes nursed his injury. The Chiefs went 1-1 over that stretch as Moore completed 69.01% of his passes for 542 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
The 35-year-old now joins Henne and former XFL standout Jordan Ta'amu as the quarterbacks behind Mahomes, who just inked a historic extension with the Chiefs that keeps him with the club through the 2031 season.
The reason why quarterback depth could be so vital to teams in 2020 more than in year's past is due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. If any player is diagnosed with the virus during the season, that could force them to miss substantial time. If that were to happen to a starting quarterback, teams will likely want multiple backups that know the system and can come in at a moment's notice. With Moore already showing the ability to do that and play at a high level, he is an extremely valuable asset to Kansas City, especially after already spending a season in Andy Reid's offense.
