Rondale Moore’s debut with Minnesota didn’t go as planned.
The wide receiver was injured while returning a punt in the second quarter of Minnesota’s preseason opener vs. the Texans. The injury was initially apparent, but as the NFL Network broadcast began to cut to a commercial break, Moore was shown down on the sideline.
Here are the latest injury updates for the oft-injured veteran WR.
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Rondale Moore injury updates
When the broadcast returned from commercial break, Moore was still being tended to by trainers. A cart had come out for him. He was eventually taken away from the field and back to the locker room. Moore had a towel over his head, which had many worried that it was a serious injury for him. Looking at the replay, it appeared that he may have been taken down with a version of a hip-drop tackle, but there was no flag on the play for the outlawed tackle form.
Hip drop tackle ??♂️ @PapaZirk @Zirksee pic.twitter.com/8bgnFXmbSj
— KaVontae Turpin’s Legs ??♂️? (@King_Darius99) August 9, 2025
Moore, unfortunately, isn’t a stranger to preseason injuries. Last year, he was with the Falcons. Two days shy of a year ago, Moore suffered a knee injury in a preseason game with Atlanta. It resulted in a torn ACL, causing him to miss the entire 2024 season.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said that Moore has a “pretty significant” knee injury.
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Vikings WR depth chart
| Position | Player |
| 1 | Justin Jefferson |
| 2 | Jordan Addison* |
| 3 | Jalen Nailor |
| 4 | Rondale More |
| 5 | Lucky Jackson |
| 6 | Tai Felton |
*Suspended for first 3 games of regular season
Jefferson is the unquestioned WR1 for Minnesota. The question for the Vikings is who else will help round out the wide receiver room for rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Addison had a breakout last year, but will be sidelined the first three games of the regular season due to a suspension stemming from off the field issues. Jalen Nailor will have an opportunity to step up. Moore was competing to be the WR3 or WR4 in the offense, but was expected to contribute highly on punt and kick returns. If the injury is as severe as he made it seem, Minnesota will also have to kind extra help there.
Rondale Moore has a “pretty significant” left knee injury, per Kevin O’Connell. He said the play had some characteristics of a hip drop tackle but would seek more clarity. Given Moore’s injury history, O’Connell said today was “heartbreaking.”
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 9, 2025
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Rondale Moore injury history
Here is a look at Moore’s injury history since coming into the NFL.
- November 2021 – Moore suffers Grade 1 concussion and neck strain
- December 2021 – Moore sprained his ankle
- September 2022- Moore suffers Grade 2 hamstring strain that sidelines him the first month of the season
- November 2022 – Grade 2 Groin Strain
- November 2022 – Dislocated pinky
- August 2024 – Torn ACL in Falcons preseason game
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This article will be updated
