Receiver Rondale Moore of the Minnesota Vikings received disappointing information this week.
On Tuesday, the Vikings communicated that he will be absent for the 2025 season because of a left-knee injury he suffered during Saturday’s preseason contest against the Houston Texans. Moore is now set to be absent for an entire second consecutive season.
Moore suffered an injury to his right knee which ended his season during a preseason practice in 2024 while playing for the Atlanta Falcons. The Vikings did not specify the exact nature of the injury but did mention that it would “end his season.”
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Moore’s most recent NFL game was in Week 18 of the 2023 season with the Arizona Cardinals. He will not participate in another until the 2026 season, at the earliest.
Moore, age 25, has participated in three NFL seasons after being selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, all with the Arizona Cardinals. He was scheduled to return punts and act as a backup wide receiver for the Vikings this season.
Rondale Moore sustained a knee injury that ended his season on this tackle in a preseason game on Saturday.
(David Berding via Getty Images)
Moore appeared in 39 games, including 23 starts in Arizona spanning from 2021 to 2023. He has accumulated 135 receptions for 1,201 yards and three touchdowns in the NFL. Additionally, he has rushed the ball 28 times for 178 yards (6.4 ypc) and scored a touchdown. As a returner, Moore has returned 22 punts for 182 yards (8.3 ypr) and 13 kicks for 291 yards (22.4 ypr).
Moore’s injury occurred while he was returning a punt during the second quarter on Saturday. Houston linebacker Jamal Hill tackled him from behind, and he immediately grabbed his knee in pain. Athletic trainers attended to Moore on the field. Eventually, Moore was taken off the field on a cart with a towel covering his head.
Following the game, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell described Moore’s injury as “pretty significant” and announced that he would undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.
Moore joined the Vikings in the offseason with a one-year, $2 million contract, including $250,000 guaranteed. Due to his injury, the Vikings will need to find a punt return specialist and additional depth at wide receiver behind starters Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Addison will begin the season with a three-game suspension due to a plea deal related to a DUI arrest from 2024.
