Rondale Moore

American football player (2000–2026)

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Rondale DaSean Moore (June 9, 2000 – February 21, 2026) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers, where he was named a consensus All-American as a freshman. Moore was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round (49th overall) of the 2021 NFL draft and spent three seasons with the team. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Minnesota Vikings, though he did not appear in any regular-season games due to preseason injuries.

Early life

Moore was born in New Albany, Indiana, on June 9, 2000. He grew up on the same block as former NBA player Romeo Langford and the two played basketball together until their sophomore year of high school. He attended New Albany High School where he was part of the 2016 4A Indiana State basketball championship team with Langford. He then transferred to Trinity High School, where he was a four-star football recruit and he helped lead the football team to a 15–0 season. This team went on to win the Kentucky 6A state championship in 2017. In June 2017, he committed to play at the University of Texas at Austin, but later chose to attend Purdue University.

College career

In his first game with the Boilermakers and his first game overall, Moore's 313 all-purpose yards set a program record, surpassing Otis Armstrong, who had 312 in 1972. In that same game, Moore had a 76-yard rush to score a touchdown that evened the score at 14–14. The Boilermakers eventually lost the game, 31–27. On September 3, 2018, Moore was named the Co-Freshman of the Week in the Big Ten Conference. On September 24, Moore was once again named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. On October 22, Moore was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for a third time after leading the Boilermakers with 12 receptions for 170 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a 49–20 victory against #2 ranked Ohio State. On November 25, Moore was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for a fourth time following a 12-reception, 141-yard, and two-touchdown performance in a 28–21 win over Indiana.

At the conclusion of the 2018 regular season, Moore had recorded 1,164 receiving yards and 203 rushing yards to go along with thirteen combined touchdowns. Moore's 2,048 all-purpose yards were the most since Dorien Bryant recorded 2,121 in 2007, and the second most in school history.

In the 2019 home opener against Vanderbilt, Moore caught 13 passes for a career-high 220 yards and a touchdown as the Boilermakers won 42–24. A hamstring injury limited Moore to four games as a sophomore, finishing the season with 29 receptions for 387 yards and two touchdowns.

Moore initially opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to focus on the 2021 NFL draft, but later announced he would return after the Big Ten reinstated a fall season. Moore suffered a setback to his hamstring and missed the beginning of the regular season. He appeared in three games and finished with 35 receptions for 270 yards.

Awards

At the end of the 2018 season, Moore was the recipient of the Paul Hornung Award, given to the most versatile player in all of college football. Moore was also named a First-Team All-American by The Athletic, a well-regarded sporting website but not one of the members of the All-American voting process.

On December 10, 2018, Moore was named a First-Team All-American by the Associated Press as an all-purpose back. On December 11, 2018, Moore was named a First-Team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. On December 12, 2018, The Sporting News named Moore to their second-team, making Moore a consensus All-American and becoming the first true freshman consensus All-American in the country since 2004.

On December 12, 2018, Moore was named the CBS Sports Freshman of the Year.

College statistics

Professional career

Arizona Cardinals

Moore was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round with the 49th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He signed his four-year rookie contract with Arizona on June 9, 2021. He entered the 2021 season fourth on the Cardinals' wide receiver depth chart. In his second career game, Moore scored his first NFL touchdown on a 77-yard pass from Kyler Murray in the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings. He finished the season with 54 catches for 435 yards and one touchdown.

After missing the first three games due to a hamstring injury, Moore made his 2022 debut in Week 4. He started the next eight games before being placed on injured reserve on December 14, 2022. Moore finished the 2022 season with 41 receptions for 414 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.

Moore appeared in all 17 games during the 2023 season, recording 40 receptions for 352 yards and a touchdown. He also set a career-high in rushing with 178 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.

Atlanta Falcons

On March 14, 2024, Moore was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for quarterback Desmond Ridder. On August 8, Moore was placed on season-ending injured reserve following a knee injury in training camp.

Minnesota Vikings

On March 19, 2025, the Minnesota Vikings signed Moore to a one-year, $2 million contract. On August 9, Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury during a preseason game against the Houston Texans and had to be carted off the field. The injury happened as Texans linebacker Jamal Hill tackled Moore along the sideline as Moore was returning a punt from Tommy Townsend. On August 12, Moore was placed on the injured reserve for the second consecutive year.

Death

Moore was found dead inside the garage of a property in New Albany, Indiana, on February 21, 2026, at the age of 25. New Albany police chief Todd Bailey suspected the cause of death to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but Moore's death is still under investigation.