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Kevin Seifert
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Vikings receiver Rondale Moore suffered a “fairly important” damage to his left knee in opposition to the Houston Texans on Saturday, coach Kevin O’Connell mentioned.
The damage got here on Moore’s first play after coming back from a serious damage final season to his proper knee.
O’Connell didn’t present a selected prognosis, pointing to an MRI check that will likely be performed Sunday, however he known as the state of affairs “heartbreaking.”
Moore has struggled to remain wholesome because the Arizona Cardinals made him a second-round draft decide in 2021. He missed 9 video games in 2022 due to quite a lot of illnesses, after which all of 2024 after struggling a dislocated proper knee when he was in coaching camp with the Atlanta Falcons.
He signed a one-year contract with the Vikings this offseason and was in line to be the staff’s punt returner and potential No. 4 receiver. On his first return, Texans linebacker Jamal Hill tackled him as he ran out of bounds after a 2-yard achieve. Within the course of, Hill pulled Moore awkwardly over his left leg.
Athletic trainers shortly introduced out a cart.
Moore’s frustration was evident; he slammed his arms so exhausting on the again of the cart that the sound could possibly be heard all through the stadium.
“It is some of the painful issues for me as a head coach once I really feel that emotion,” O’Connell mentioned. “I make a life out of making an attempt to go away others higher than I discovered them. In that state of affairs, there’s nothing I can do, which is the worst feeling as a coach. So that you simply seek the advice of with him and be sure that he is aware of he isn’t going to be alone.”
O’Connell spoke with members of referee Brad Allen’s officiating crew to ask if Hill’s hit certified as an unlawful hip drop sort out.
“I’ve to look at the play again earlier than I really may give [an answer] on it,” O’Connell mentioned. “However it was very, very unlucky. It appeared prefer it had quite a lot of the traits of [the hip drop], however I do know it’s a three-part sort of course of to truly name that on the sector. We’ll see after we watch the tape, I do not suppose there was any not dangerous intent there.”