Punt returner, WR3 jobs 'up for grabs' after Rondale Moore's crushing injury

Moore has been ruled out for the season after suffering a major knee injury in Minnesota's preseason game against the Texans.

Aug 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore (4) is quickly attended to by a Houston Texans trainer after suffering a lower leg injury during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

It's still unclear what type of knee injury Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore suffered in Minnesota's preseason game against the Houston Texans last Saturday. All anyone knows is that it was a major injury and the Vikings have ruled Moore out for the rest of the season.

"He was placed injured reserve. Crushed for Rondale," head coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday.

"All he had done since he had gotten here was do everything right and was progressing. As I told him, we don't always have answers and things don't always need to make sense to us, but I have no doubt that Rondale will be back better than ever and be ready to continue to his football journey."

O'Connell didn't reveal if Moore suffered a torn ACL, only saying it "was a significant knee injury that will keep him out — definitely for the 2025 season."

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Moore was competing for a top four role as a wide receiver and the No. 1 punt returner job.

"Obviously Rondale was part of that," O'Connell said, noting that Moore suffered the injury while returning a punt. "We've got some other guys we want to make sure we get game reps for, in addition to the reps out here and through the next couple weeks. The punt return spot is up for grabs and we've got some talented guys — maybe without the experience level that you would always want. But at the same time, the upside and the ability should be a really good competition."

Moore was also in the mix for the WR3 job, which now appears to be a competition between Jalen Nailor and Lucky Jackson.

"With that third receiver spot, it's still the same thing," O'Connell said. "I think there's guys that have done some really good things all across the depth of that receiver room. We'll continue to give guys opportunities to go make plays and they're going to get some great work against a really good secondary the next couple days and on into the game on Saturday."

Whoever wins the WR3 job will end up being the No. 2 wide receiver when the Vikings play the first three weeks of the season without Jordan Addison, who will be serving a three-game suspension following the conclusion of his DUI case in Los Angeles.

Moore, 25, missed all of last season with a knee injury. He was a college star at Purdue before being drafted in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. In three seasons with the Cardinals, Moore racked up 135 receptions for 1,201 yards and three touchdowns.