Just days before the start of the Foothill League season, former Indians quarterback and Hart alumnus Matt Moore was set to begin the 2019 high school football season standing on the sidelines of his alma mater as an assistant coach.
That quickly changed on Thursday, after Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a gruesome knee injury that resulted in a dislocated right kneecap against the Denver Broncos in the second quarter, Moore was handed the reins of the Chiefs’ offense.
On Monday, Aug. 26, days before the NFL roster deadline, Moore received a call from the Kansas City Chiefs organization after backup quarterback Chad Henne went down with a broken ankle during the preseason.
Moore was a perfect option as the 12-year veteran was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2007 playing until 2010 and then played for the Miami Dolphins from 2011 to 2017.
In his first 11 seasons, Moore completed 59.6% of his passes throwing for 6,938 yards and 45 touchdowns.
Moore entered Thursday’s primetime matchup and was efficient, completing 10-of-19 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown. Moore’s lone score was a 57-yard bomb to wide receiver Tyreek Hill in the third quarter.
The 35-year-old Moore led the Chiefs to a 30-6 victory over the Broncos and with Mahomes suspected to be sidelined anywhere from three to eight weeks and with Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid having such confidence in the veteran, Moore seems to be the starter for the foreseeable future.
Moore’s has a tough matchup in Week 8 as the Green Bay Packers visit Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 5:20 p.m
“We’re excited for the win, division opponent, road game – all things that are hard to do,” Moore said in an interview with KMBC 9 news. “At the same, a guy like Patrick gets hurt, it can be deflating. He’s obviously a huge part of this team, a huge part of the league. You hate to see that. We all know that injuries are part of this game. He’s doing to do his best to get back out as quick as he can.”
