Vikings' Rondale Moore suffers devastating knee injury on 1st preseason play since missing all of 2024
Moore appeared in the Vikings' 20-10 win over the Houston Texans. He checked into the game as a punt returner and when he received the ball he was tackled by Texans linebacker Jamal Hill as he ran out of bounds.
The athletic cart came out for Moore and he was taken to the locker room. He placed a towel over his head as emotions ran high.
"It's one of the most painful things for me as a head coach when I feel that emotion," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said, via ESPN. "I make a life out of trying to leave others better than I found them. In that situation, there is nothing I can do, which is the worst feeling as a coach. So you just consult with him and make sure that he knows he's not going to be alone."
O'Connell described the knee injury as "pretty significant."
Moore only played in eight games in 2022 when he was with the Arizona Cardinals as he battled a hamstring issue. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 and suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp.
He joined the Vikings this past March, but he may be out for the season once again.
The Vikings are loaded with wide receivers trying to make the team and become the No. 2 behind Justin Jefferson before Jordan Addison sits out due to a suspension to start the year.
Fifteen different players were targeted in the preseason game as Sam Howell, Max Brosmer, J.J. McCarthy and Brett Rypien got reps at quarterback.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UFC 319 preview roundtable: Khamzat Chimaev's big moment, Dricus du Plessis' underdog status and more
We wouldn't have known it this time last week, but UFC 319 is a finite affair. With the UFC's new broadcast partnership with Paramount and CBS set to begin in 2026, pay-per-views are going the way of the dodo bird. Or maybe the ivory-billed woodpecker, as there might possibly be a few more still to be found in the wild once the new deal gets rolling. Saturday's event gives us a super-intriguing fight at the top, as Khamzat Chimaev — the most boogeymanish middleweight contender we've had in a long minute — finally gets his chance at the UFC 185-pound title against champion Dricus Du Plessis. The fact that Du Plessis 'begged' for the fight tells you something about his confidence (and the levels of sadism we're dealing in). Without further ado, let's jump right into the burning questions for UFC 319. 1) Dricus du Plessis is 9-0 in the UFC, with two title defenses, yet he's the underdog heading into his fight with Khamzat Chimaev — are we sleeping on him ? Petesy Carroll: I think we are, Chuck. However, I feel as though by admitting we are sleeping on DDP we are also doing the same thing to Khamzat. Correct me if I'm wrong, but we were pretty sure that the Chechen terminator would run into some trouble against Robert Whittaker before he went through him like a knife through butter. I know you've been saying for some time that if DDP can get out of the first round you would begin to favor him. I'd tend to agree, and I honestly believe that if we see the same kind of Khamzat that showed up against Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, his 0 is gonna go. Chuck Mindenhall: In this case, I feel like Chimaev's footsteps are so loud on approach that it drowns out any noise DDP can make. If du Plessis were fighting, say, Nassourdine Imavov on Saturday night, I think we'd be giving him his rightful respect for the position he's in. But as it is, he's confronting a force of preternatural pressure who will dive for his legs in the first six seconds with the intention of planting him into the earth. Having said all that, I think there's a path for DDP to beat this tyrant in the ranks … 2) What is du Plessis' path to victory? And what is Chimaev's? Chuck: Surviving the first round would be a key for Dricus. If Khamzat were a final pit boss in a video game, the one known (or at least heavily suspected) weakness would be his endurance in a fight. He tends to become closer to ordinary as the fight goes on, as the explorer Burns discovered. If Dricus can keep the fight standing in the first round, wearing down Chimaev gradually until he can turn into the clobbering downhill power-toddler with fewer repercussions to worry over, I can see the fight turning his way. As for Chimaev? Smeshville, baby. I really think his version of early onslaught is the most terrifying in the UFC, and Dricus knowing it's coming only gives him time to get his affairs in order. Petesy: I'm with you on that breakdown completely. I'm very intrigued to see if Khamzat will be able to rag doll Dricus in the way he has been able to do with the majority of his opponents. I imagine it's like trying to double leg a wardrobe. That said, I was quite surprised at the size advantage Khamzat appeared to have over the champion when they bumped into each other earlier in the week in Chicago. As far as DDP's strategy is concerned, he just has to be DDP. It's one of the strangest yet most effective fighting styles I've ever seen thrive in the Octagon. On multiple occasions he seems to take control of fights out of nowhere and impose his will on people. He tends to look exhausted at the end of the first round but still manages to push a pace that his opponents are unable to live with in the championship rounds. The most DDP thing ever would be if he submits Khamzat, because he keeps defying all logic on this title run. 3) Who would the UFC prefer to see emerge with the middleweight title on Saturday night? Petesy: The smart money is on Khamzat. We've been on a five-year countdown to this moment because we believed he would be a champion the first time we laid eyes on him. I keep casting my mind back to January 2020, months before Khamzat's debut. I was in Vegas covering Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone, and manager Danny Rubenstein arranged for me to interview du Plessis on the floor of Park MGM. He was pushing hard to get signed by UFC, and 10 months later he made his debut. But despite the emphatic finish he had that night, never in a million years would I have predicted he would go on to have the success he's had. That's what we're dealing with here. Khamzat seems like he is fulfilling some kind of divine prophecy, whereas DDP has been the spanner in the works for the whole division. Either person winning this fight would feel so on brand for who they are. Chuck: For as suave as DDP has been as a champion in this organization, he's not a 'water cooler' commodity. We aren't discussing him with casual friends who dip their toes in these waters. Chimaev, on the other hand, is one of those fighters you fear may be lurking under your bed. In your closet and in your head, Petesy. I made a case that Chimaev could/should be a star in a column last week, and I think that holding the belt bumps him into that stratosphere of star that becomes 'must see.' He has a lot more upside than DDP in the marketing sense, and there are lots of matchups for him if the UFC can only coax him into staying busy. 4) Aaron Pico is the latest PFL/Bellator refugee to arrive into the UFC — is he a legitimate threat at featherweight? Chuck: I know we were big on Patricio Pitbull coming over from the PFL, yet his age (37 at the time) was a natural coolant. With Patchy Mix I remember outlining a path for him to automatically contend in the UFC's stacked bantamweight division, and Mario Bautista just kind of muted his existence. So you can understand why I might have some trepidation in declaring Pico a 'threat' to the featherweight class. I do think he's young enough (28) to make a run, but I think I need to see how he handles himself against a nullifying force like Lerone Murphy to truly feel confident. (I give him kudos for originally accepting that fight with Movsar Evloev, though — even if I am gun-shy in believing in him, he clearly believes in himself). Petesy: Like you, I'm reluctant to get too excited after the Mix ordeal, but I think Murphy is incredibly underrated given what he's done in the weight class. Most people would look at Pico's stellar wrestling ability as his best path to victory, but Manchester Top Team has one of the best featherweight prospects in the world — Ibragim Ibragimov — who just so happens to ply his trade in the featherweight division. The Dagestani sensation is a freak athlete. He's from a strong bloodline with two of his brothers playing in Manchester United's youth ranks. I think the unbeaten wrestler will have played a pivotal role in getting Murphy ready for this bout, and I think there's money to be made given his underdog status going into this one. 5) Carlos Prates is finally going to fight Geoff Neal — who is the Fighting Nerd with the best chance of becoming a UFC champion? Petesy: I love watching Prates fight but I can't help but feel like Ian Machado Garry highlighted major shortcomings when they met earlier this year. For me, it's the rangy knockout artist Mauricio Ruffy that has the best chance of claiming UFC gold. I know it's been said before, but he reminds me so much of the Conor McGregor that showed up in Stockholm 12 years ago before altering the course of the sport forever. I know that's a lofty comparison, but every time I watch him fight I've been blown away by his striking ability. Chuck: I love Ruffy, too, Petesy, and think he has a legit shot. However, if Jean Silva rolls into San Antonio next month and thrashes Diego Lopes — who, remember, fought for the featherweight title not all that long ago — my money is on that dude. If he were a Muppet he'd be Animal, always wild-eyed and feral and perhaps a little more deviant than we understand. He has been straight chaos in the Octagon. Until somebody does something about it, I can see him fighting for a title real soon. Bonus: What's another fight that people should be excited about at UFC 319? Chuck: I mean, King Green is on the card. Kai Asakura, Michael 'Venom' Page, Bryan Battle, Edson freaking Barboza. There should be some good fireworks, Petesy. But I think I'll go with Chase Hooper. He's fighting Alexander Hernandez to see if he can make it six in a row, which is fun. Hooper's one of those guys who always entertains, and at just 25 he still seems light-years from his peak form. Can he actually emerge as a contender at 155? Wouldn't that be something. Petesy: You're right, seeing Hooper round out his game has been incredible. A few years ago you would have shuddered at the thought of him being fed to Alexander Hernandez, but he's going in as a heavy favorite and rightfully so given the run he's put together. For me it's this Baysangur Susurkaev kid. Fresh off a striking clinic on "Dana White's Contender Series," he's fighting on this card four days later. He's a training partner of Chimaev's, and he looks every bit as potent in the striking realm as Chimaev is in grappling. I love that he's attempting to ride the momentum of his debut just like the middleweight challenger did back in 2020, and I'm excited to see what he can do in his UFC debut.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Monaco Sporting Director Plays Down Exit Rumours On €70M Rated Inter Milan Target: ‘He's In No Hurry To Leave'
The Sporting Director of Monaco says that Inter Milan target Maghnes Akliouche is in 'no hurry to leave' the club this summer. Monaco Sporting Director Thiago Scuro stated in a press conference, as reported by FCInterNews, that the Ligue 1 club are still planning to have the 23-year-old as part of their squad. Monaco forward Maghnest Akliouche has reportedly come onto the radar of Inter Milan. The Nerazzurri are aiming to make an attacking signing this summer. And the Frenchman is one potential ytarget. Akliouche would certainly be in line with Inter's efforts to lower the average age of the squad by focusing on younger players. Furthermore, the 23-year-old showed Inter how lethal he can be by scoring against them in a recent friendly match. Monaco Sporting Director On Inter Target Maghnes Akliouche: 'In No Hurry To Leave' France's midfielder #21 Maghnes Akliouche celebrates his team's sixth goal during the U23 friendly football match between France and Dominican Republic at Mayol Stadium in Toulon, south-eastern France, on July 11, 2024, in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. France won over Dominican Republic. (Photo by CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / AFP) (Photo by CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP via Getty Images) However, Monaco's Sporting Director Thiago Scuro doesn't think Akliouche is going anywhere anytime soon. 'He's settled in well here in Monaco,' said the executive. 'He's enjoying a lot of confidence.' Scuro added that 'No one is in any hurry.' 'Another season here with us will be beneficial for him as well. Our ambition is for him to stay here with us for a good long while.'
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LA28 making Olympics history with first sale of venue naming rights for Games
Venues for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics will be permitted to sell naming rights, a first in the Games' storied history. LA28, the organizing committee for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) struck an agreement, which alleviates logistical headaches, cuts costs for the city and helps cover the budget for the Games but also continues the commercialization of an event the IOC has tried to protect over the years from corporate influence. It's important to note, however, that the field of play will remain free of visible advertising. 'Our job is to push and our job is to do what's best for the Olympics in Los Angeles,' LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman told the Los Angeles Times. 'Our job in those conversations [with the IOC] was to explain why this was more than just about money. It was about experience and value and opportunity.' Well-known venues such as SoFi Stadium and Arena will no longer have to adopt generic nicknames or remove existing signage for the Games. Notably, SoFi will host the opening and closing ceremonies along with swimming, and Arena will host gymnastics and boxing in 2028. "People know 'Crypto' as 'Crypto,' they don't know it as 'the gymnastics arena downtown,'' Wasserman said, via The Associated Press, when discussing Arena, the full-time home of the Los Angeles Lakers. For those venues with pre-existing sponsorship names, the companies that currently own naming rights can retain those for the Olympics by signing on as a founding-level partner, according to the LA Times. If they don't sign on, those venues will be renamed without a sponsor, per the LA Times' report. LA28 announced in a release Thursday that up to 19 temporary venues can carry naming rights, with members of The Olympic Partners program receiving first bidding opportunities. Contracts are in place for two of them already: Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios and Honda Center, the latter of which will keep its name for the Olympic volleyball competition in Anaheim. The LA Coliseum, Rose Bowl and Dodger Stadium are not included in this new naming rights arrangement, according to the AP. But the revenue raised from these deals will prove critical in backing what LA28 describes as a privately-funded Games.
