In what was supposed to be a special afternoon for Rondale Moore in his first in-game action since suffering a serious knee injury last summer as a member of the Atlanta Falcons, the veteran wide receiver's preseason debut with the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday was heartbreakingly cut short by another injury.
Moore appeared to injure his left knee when returning a punt in the second quarter of Minnesota's preseason game against the Houston Texans on Saturday when a defender brought him to the ground with a hip-drop tackle. His foot got caught under the defender's body during the tackle, and it resulted in him grabbing for his left knee as soon as he hit the turf.
The new Vikings pass-catcher was unable to get to his feet, and the medical cart was needed to bring him to the team's locker room for further examination. As Moore was being transported on the cart, the TV broadcast showed him essentially hand gesturing "why" with a towel over his head.
Comeback attempt for Minnesota Vikings WR Rondale Moore might be over before it really ever got a chance to get started
After missing the entire 2024 season with a knee injury, many Minnesota fans were excited to see Moore attempt to recapture some of the playmaking ability that he displayed during his college career at Purdue and his first three years in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like he's going to get any sort of comeback opportunity this season after Saturday's injury. Unless Moore catches a break and it ends up only being something minor, then it's possible that his entire football career could now be in jeopardy if the injury he suffered this weekend is indeed season-ending.
For the Vikings, they might now have to add another veteran wide receiver to their roster before the regular season begins in a few weeks. Minnesota was already preparing to be without Jordan Addison for their first three regular-season games due to a suspension, and now they might also be without Moore for the entire 2025 campaign.