KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jaylon Moore headed straight to the hospital after the Kansas City Chiefs dispatched the Detroit Lions with authority on Sunday Night Football.
Moore, 27, was a surprise starter at left tackle during the Chiefs’ 30-17 win — and he had good reason to be in a hurry, a newborn daughter named Selah.
His wife, Sidney, gave birth to Selah early Sunday morning before Moore even knew he’d be called into action for the primetime showdown.
“I have all the faith in the world in Jaylon,” Patrick Mahomes said. “He came here to do what he did today — go out there against one of the premier pass-rushers in the league and handle his own.”
Aidan Hutchinson had one of three Lions sacks in the game, but the former No. 1 overall pick struggled to get around Moore — who signed a two-year deal worth $30 million in the offseason, joining Kansas City after four seasons in San Francisco — most of the night.
“He definitely stepped up with a lot of emotions going through his mind, probably. He had a kid, and he’s out here playing Sunday Night Football,” wide receiver Xavier Worthy said. “That's a good job from him, definitely — stepping up last-minute, too.”
The day got off to an uncomfortable start for Moore, who was too big for the hospital bed where he slept after Selah’s birth.
“Oh, it was bad, but I found a way,” said Moore, who has three children. “... Feet stuck, but I got through it.”
Starting left tackle Josh Simmons missed the game for personal reasons. He was added to the injury report only a few hours before kickoff.
“We had walk-through around noon or 1 and he wasn’t there, so I knew something was up,” Mahomes said.
Coach Andy Reid offered no timeline for Simmons’ return, but he indicated the team was aware of the situation before Sunday morning.
Still, Moore only learned a few hours before kickoff that he would be making his first start for the Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
“There’s still some plays that I want to get back,” Moore said. “I'm sure everybody feels like that. I’m just ready to get back in the film room and try to get better for next week.”
Starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor said Moore rotates in regularly at both tackle spots during practice, so he wasn’t surprised at how well he played in spot duty. Neither was Reid.
“Josh was gone for personal reasons, so for him (Moore) to step in was a nice thing,” Reid said. “I thought he did a nice job. [It’s a] tribute to [offensive line coach] Andy [Heck] for rolling those guys during the week and getting that part done.”
Moore dropped a “stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready” line about how he prepares as an NFL backup, something he has experience with after providing depth behind Trent Williams with the 49ers.
“I get enough [reps],” Moore said. “I feel like the biggest thing is mental reps. This is year five for me, so I've had a good amount of reps. I’m not saying all of it is mental, but most of it is upstairs and just making sure I'm being intentional with my work during the week.”
He admitted that it felt good to come through in crunch time.
“The biggest thing for me is earning the trust of my teammates and our coaching staff,” Moore said, “just that, whenever my name, my number’s called upon, I’ll be ready.”
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