Rondale Moore found dead at 25 after years of injury setbacks
rondale moore was found dead Saturday in New Albany, Indiana; authorities say he suffered a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound. The death, at age 25, ends a career that had been repeatedly derailed by serious injuries and drew widespread grief from teammates, coaches and family.
Rondale Moore found in New Albany garage
New Albany Police Chief Todd Bailey said Moore was discovered inside the garage of a property in the city. Police described the wound as a suspected self-inflicted gunshot. An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday, and the police department is investigating the circumstances of his death. Floyd County Coroner Matthew Tomlin declined to share additional details ahead of the autopsy.
Police details and investigation timeline
Authorities have opened an investigation and an autopsy is set to take place the day after Moore was found. Local police notified the public that the matter remains under active inquiry as officials work to establish a full timeline of events leading to the discovery.
College breakout at Purdue and early life
Moore rose to national attention as a freshman at Purdue in 2018, catching 114 passes for 1, 258 yards and 12 touchdowns and setting a Purdue record for all-purpose yardage that season. He won the Paul Hornung Award as college football’s most versatile player and earned All-American recognition. Over three seasons at Purdue he totaled 1, 915 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns while rushing for 248 yards and three scores.
Family members recall a difficult start to life: Moore was born five weeks premature and became a high-school standout in basketball, track and football. His cousin Gino Rowen said that premature babies often have to fight, a characterization offered as part of the family’s remembrance. Moore chose Purdue over Texas for his college scholarship.
NFL trajectory with Cardinals, Falcons and Vikings
Selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, Moore showed early promise as a 21-year-old rookie with 54 catches. In his second NFL start he caught a 77-yard touchdown pass from Kyler Murray. Injuries began to erode his availability: hamstring problems limited him to eight games in 2022, and he played 17 games with eight starts in 2023, catching 40 passes for 352 yards.
Across three seasons with the Cardinals he started 23 games, caught 135 passes for 1, 201 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed 52 times for 249 yards and one score. A dislocated right knee in 2024 while with the Atlanta Falcons kept him sidelined that season. After rehabilitation he signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings for 2025, but suffered a season-ending left knee injury while returning a punt on August 9 in the team’s preseason opener; team accounts describe that return play ending with him pulled abruptly to the ground and transported by cart to the locker room.
Reactions from coaches, teammates and the Vikings organization
Moore’s former Purdue coach Jeff Brohm called him “a complete joy to coach, ” praising his competitiveness, work ethic and teammate qualities. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said he was devastated, describing Moore as humble, soft-spoken and proud of his Indiana roots, and noting that injuries had sidelined him multiple times. Defensive standout JJ Watt, who played with Moore in Arizona, posted that he could not fathom the news and called it “way too soon” and “way too special. ”
The Minnesota Vikings released a statement saying the team was deeply saddened, that it had spoken with Moore’s family to offer condolences and full support, and that counseling and emotional-support resources would be made available to players, coaches and staff. The organization said it was working to understand the facts surrounding his death.
Career statistics and lasting impressions
Moore’s listed size—5 ft 7 in and 181 lbs—was often noted in coverage of his career as an undersized but explosive playmaker. What makes this notable is the contrast between his record-setting 2018 season at Purdue and a professional career repeatedly shortened by injuries: the hamstring trouble in 2022, a dislocated right knee in 2024 and a season-ending left knee injury in 2025 together limited his opportunities and kept him off the field after the 2023 season.
Friends, family and former teammates have paid tribute to Moore’s competitiveness and smile. In the US, crisis resources include calling or texting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or texting HOME to 741741 to reach a counselor. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be reached at 116 123.
Corrections and media note
An earlier version of coverage mistakenly displayed a photograph of another player, Myles Price, rather than Moore; that error has been identified and corrected.
