Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore (4) is carted off the field after suffering a lower leg injury during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Vikings' potential breakout star suffers 'significant' injury on controversial play

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 8:56 AM ET

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore cannot catch a break.

Moore was carted off the field after he suffered what Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell described as a "pretty significant" injury during Saturday night's preseason game against the Houston Texans. The injury occurred as Moore was being tackled by Texans linebacker Jamal Hill on the sideline during a punt return play.

O'Connell said the play had some characteristics of a hip-drop tackle, which is a form of tackling that was banned by the NFL before last season.

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

Hill dove at Moore and dragged the receiver to the ground. Moore's left leg got caught awkwardly underneath him and was dragged, which apparently resulted in a serious injury.

The NFL will have to determine whether the play met the criteria for a hip-drop tackle.

Hate to see this for Rondale Moore. Left on a cart with a towel over his head. pic.twitter.com/RTt1U2yEIB
— Zack Patraw (@ZackPatraw) August 9, 2025

The Arizona Cardinals drafted Moore in the second round out of Purdue in 2021. Moore had 54 catches as a rookie and showed flashes of playmaking ability across three seasons with the Cardinals. He was then traded to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for quarterback Desmond Ridder prior to last season.

Moore has had nothing but bad luck since. He suffered a torn ACL in training camp with the Falcons and missed the entire 2024 season. He then signed with the Vikings as a free agent in March, and it sounds like he is now in danger of missing all of 2025 as well.

Many believed the 25-year-old Moore was poised to play a big role in Minnesota's offense, especially after a different Vikings wide receiver was suspended for the first three games of the season. That no longer appears to be a possibility.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

More must-reads: