Minnesota Vikings Injury Update: Rondale Moore’s Comeback Season Cut Short

The NFL can be cruel, and the Minnesota Vikings just got a harsh reminder. Rondale Moore’s highly anticipated comeback season ended after just one preseason play.

Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury in Minnesota’s preseason opener, the team announced Tuesday. It’s a massive blow both for Moore, who hasn’t played a regular-season game since Week 18 of 2023, and for a Vikings wide receiver room already thin on depth.

Drafted by Arizona in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Moore spent last season with Atlanta but missed all of 2024 due to a significant right knee injury. After months of rehab, he signed with Minnesota in 2025 with the hope of contributing as a returner and carving out opportunities as a receiver with game-breaking potential.

Those hopes were dashed in an instant. Moore fielded a punt on his first snap of the preseason and suffered a knee injury while being tackled along the sideline. The severity of the moment, with Moore carted off the field, left fans and teammates fearing the worst — fears that were confirmed in Tuesday’s announcement.

This leaves the Vikings facing a daunting start to the season. With Jordan Addison suspended for the first three games, Minnesota must lean heavily on superstar Justin Jefferson, who has been nursing a hamstring injury, and on Jalen Nailor plus whoever wins the battle among Lucky Jackson, Tai Felton, and Thayer Thomas.

For Moore, it is back to the all-too-familiar grind of recovery and rehab. The Vikings’ window for a stable receiving corps is already narrowing, and this injury only makes the team’s early-season schedule that much more challenging.