The Vikings announced Tuesday that Rondale Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury in Minnesota’s preseason opener against the Houston Texans.
It’s a huge setback for the fifth-year receiver—who hasn’t played in a regular-season game since Week 18 of 2023—and for a Vikings receiver group already stretched thin.
A second-round pick by Arizona in 2021, Moore spent last season in Atlanta but missed the entire year with a serious right knee injury. After months of recovery and rehab, he signed with Minnesota in 2025, hoping to make an impact as a returner and big-play threat at receiver.
Those plans fell apart Saturday when, on his first snap of the preseason, Moore fielded a punt and went down along the sideline after a tackle. He was carted off after a long delay, and the scene suggested bad news was coming.
God dude I feel so bad for Rondale Moore pic.twitter.com/BTD6Sz1XyZ
— 〽️ (@TheRealJome) August 10, 2025
"It's one of the most painful things for me as a head coach when I feel that emotion. I make a life out of trying to leave others better than I found them," head coach Kevin O'Connell said. "In that situation, there is nothing I can do, which is the worst feeling as a coach. So you just consult with him and make sure that he knows he's not going to be alone."
Now, Minnesota enters the start of the season without both Jordan Addison (suspension) and Moore, leaving Justin Jefferson—still working through a hamstring issue—Jalen Nailor, and a group of hopefuls including Lucky Jackson, Tai Felton, and Thayer Thomas.
For Moore, it’s back to the all-too-familiar grind of recovery and rehab.
