Western Michigan Alumni Report | NFL | Week of Sept. 13–19, 2026
Jaylon Moore's days as a starter in Kansas City may be numbered.
The Western Michigan product has been a serviceable presence along the Chiefs' offensive line, but his roster security is now under real pressure. Kansas City is predicted to bench Moore once rookie offensive tackle Josh Simmons returns from injury — a move that would relegate the 6-foot-4 veteran to a backup role, if he survives the depth-chart shuffle at all. Simmons has been tabbed internally as a "hidden gem," and the Chiefs' willingness to make that switch signals that Moore's window to secure long-term standing in Kansas City is narrowing fast.
Moore was in uniform for Kansas City's dominant 31–10 blowout of Denver on Monday, September 14th, but the box score told only part of the story. Playing time and job security are two different things, and the latter is now in genuine question. For a former undrafted lineman who has clawed his way onto an NFL roster and carved out a role on one of the league's premier franchises, the threat from Simmons represents the stiffest challenge of his professional career.
Elsewhere in the WMU alumni network, Robert Spillane provided a moment that transcended box scores. The Patriots linebacker made headlines not for a stat line but for a profanity-laced show of support for quarterback Drake Maye following New England's loss to Seattle — a public display of locker-room solidarity that drew attention league-wide. It's the kind of leadership moment that defines a veteran's value beyond scheme fit and snap counts, and Spillane, now in New England after years with Pittsburgh and Las Vegas, is clearly taking ownership of his role as a vocal presence in what's still a developing Patriots locker room.
Skyy Moore had a quiet week as the Packers fell to Minnesota, 39–22, on Sunday — a result that raised early-season questions about Green Bay's offense. Moore, who changed teams from Kansas City in an effort to revive his career, will need more out of the coming weeks to justify optimism about his fresh start in Wisconsin.
The WMU pipeline into the NFL remains one of the MAC's most impressive, with alumni scattered from Green Bay to Miami to Los Angeles. But this week belonged to Jaylon Moore's story — a veteran at a crossroads, trying to hold his ground against a franchise that's already looking past him.
AI-generated summary
