Vikings HC Says Rondale Moore Has 'Pretty Significant' Knee Injury, 'Heartbreaking'

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters that wide receiver Rondale Moore suffered a "pretty significant" left knee injury and will have an MRI on Sunday to determine its severity.

Moore suffered the injury while returning a punt in the second quarter of his team's road preseason game against the Houston Texans on Saturday. After being tackled on the sideline, Moore stayed on the ground. Medical personnel then attended to Moore before he was carted off the field.

Moore burst onto the national landscape as a freshman for Purdue in 2018, amassing 1,471 yards and 14 touchdowns while earning All-American status. He was best known for an electric 12-catch, 170-yard, two-touchdown outing against No. 2 Ohio State in a 49-20 victory.

Moore is slight for an NFL player (5'7", 181 pounds) in stature, but he was incredibly powerful.

Unfortunately, a hamstring injury held Moore to just four games in 2019, and a lower-body injury led to him playing just three matchups in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

Moore entered the 2021 NFL draft, and the Arizona Cardinals selected him with a second-round pick. He caught 54 passes for 435 yards and one touchdown in 13 games during his rookie season.

Unfortunately, injuries held him to eight games in 2022, including a season-ending groin issue that landed him on injured reserve. Moore returned in 2023 and gained 530 total yards alongside two scores.

In March 2024, the Cardinals traded Moore to the Atlanta Falcons. Unfortunately, Moore suffered a season-ending injury last August during training camp and missed all of 2024.

Last March, Moore signed with the Vikings in free agency. He was listed as a backup wide receiver and top punt returner on the last unofficial depth chart.

It's an incredibly tough blow for Moore, an explosive talent at his best as evidenced by his time at Purdue. Injuries have sidelined Moore far too often, preventing him from meeting his tremendous potential.

Now Moore may have to rebound from a second straight season-ending injury, one that could keep him out for an entire campaign again. Hopefully Moore is able to return to full health soon.