Vikings receiver Rondale Moore has died. He was 25.
Via WLKY in Louisville, the Floyd County Coroner confirmed Moore’s passing. Louisville coach Jeff Brohm, who coached Moore at Purdue, addressed the situation in a statement released on Saturday night.
“Rondale Moore was a complete joy to coach,” Brohm said, via WLKY. “The ultimate competitor that would never back down to any challenge. Rondale has a work ethic that was unmatched by anyone. A great teammate that would come through in any situation. we all loved Rondale and we loved his smile and competitive edge that always wanted to please everyone he came in contact with. We offer all of our thoughts and prayers to Rondale and his family and we love him very much!!!”
A second-round pick of the Cardinals in 2021, Moore was traded to the Falcons in March 2024. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp that year.
Moore signed a one-year deal with the Vikings in March 2025. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason opener against the Texans.
We extend our condolences to Moore’s family, friends, teammates, and coaches.
Every year, the coaching carousel spins first. Then, the quarterback carousel whirls.
It’s coming soon. Veteran quarterbacks will be cut, traded, signed. Teams will reshuffle their depth charts with changes at the most important position on the team.
In a recent item about the potential contract prospects of Packers (for now) backup Malik Willis, some of the veteran options were listed. Here’s a look at the various teams that will have decisions to make regarding veteran quarterbacks currently on the roster, or to be added once the new league year begins.
Dolphins: They have a decision to make about Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins owe him $54 million in 2026. The two-year (or one-year, if they choose to rip the Band-Aid in one motion) dead-cap charge for cutting Tua would be $99.2 million. They need to decide what to do with Tua, and whether to add a veteran — like Willis. They’d surely love to find a way to trade Tua, even if it means selling some of the cap charge to another team by attaching a draft pick to Tua’s contract. And since they owe him every penny of his 2026 pay, they could choose to keep him around. (That would fully guarantee another $3 million for 2027, however.)
Jets: Justin Fields likely will be cut. Half of his $20 million salary for 2026 is fully guaranteed. They’ll likely be looking for a veteran, possibly on a short-term basis, to run new coordinator Frank Reich’s offense.
Steelers: They’re willing to wait for Aaron Rodgers, which would take them out of play for a veteran in the early days of free agency. Willis or Cousins could be intriguing options, if they find out before March 11 that Rodgers won’t be returning.
Browns: Who knows what they’ll do? Deshaun Watson is under contract for another year, at $46 million. Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel are, too. Will the new half-regime led by coach Todd Monken want a veteran from the outside?
Ravens: In the unlikely event the Ravens trade Lamar Jackson, they’d need a new quarterback — presumably one with starting experience.
Colts: Daniel Jones, who is recovering from a torn Achilles, likely will be back. Anthony Richardson has one year left on his rookie deal; he’s under contract for 2026 at guaranteed pay of $5.385 million. If Jones leaves, the Colts would need another veteran.
Raiders: They owe Geno Smith $18.5 million for 2026. Another $8 million becomes fully guaranteed on March 13. Would someone trade for him at $26.5 million? He could be cut. The Raiders also could keep him as the bridge to Fernando Mendoza, if they make him the first overall pick.
Vikings: They want a veteran who’ll compete with J.J. McCarthy. That could make it harder to attract a veteran who’ll want a commitment that he’ll be QB1. Based on McCarthy’s performance and durability in 2025, however, most veteran quarterbacks with reasonable confidence would believe they can win a fair and square competition. If they believe the competition will be both fair and square.
Falcons: They haven’t committed to Michael Penix Jr. being the Week 1 starter, and for good reason. Penix is recovering from his latest ACL tear. Cousins could, in theory, return after being released. That seems unlikely. Another veteran is possible for the new-look football operation led by Matt Ryan, Ian Cunningham, and Kevin Stefanski.
Cardinals: The moment Kyler Murray was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury that was supposedly healing, the message was clear — it’s over for Murray in Arizona. The Cardinals owe him $36.8 million for 2026, with another $22.55 million in 2026 pay and 2027 salary hitting the books early in the 2026 league year. If not traded, he’ll be cut. Willis could be an option for the Cardinals. Rodgers potentially could be a target, too.
With the Scouting Combine beginning soon, the carousel will start moving. Coaches and General Managers who take the podium on Tuesday or Wednesday will be asked pointed questions. Agents will meet with teams.
The Cardinals previously introduced the coordinators on Mike LaFleur’s staff, announcing the hires of special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and the return of defensive coordinator Nick Rallis.
On Friday, the Cardinals announced the rest of the staff, which includes 10 holdovers from the previous season. Besides Rallis, others who are staying are offensive line coach Justin Frye and Cristian Garcia, who is moving from linebackers to safeties.
The strength and conditioning staff is still being finalized and will be announced at a later date.
Staff announced Friday:
OFFENSE
Coordinator: Nathaniel Hackett
Pass Game Specialist: Connor Senger*
Quarterbacks: Matt Schaub
Running backs: Matt Merritt
Wide receivers: Tony Sorrentino
Offensive line: Justin Frye*
Assistant offensive line: Chris Cook*
Tight ends: Jake Moreland
Quality Control: Brett Ekkens
DEFENSE
Coordinator: Nick Rallis*
Defensive line: Pete Kwiatkowski
Assistant defensive line: Alec Osborne*
Inside linebackers: Rod Wilson
Outside linebackers: Matt Feeney*
Cornerbacks: Zac Etheridge
Defensive backs: Cristian Garcia*
Quality Control: Brent Jackson
SPECIAL TEAMS/SUPPORT
Coordinator: Michael Ghobrial
Assistant special teams: Sam Sewell*
Director, Football Strategy: Kenny Bell*
Assistant to head coach: Jay Razzano*
* - returning from 2025 staff
Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony for a new Cardinals practice facility likely wasn’t supposed to be contentious. It got that way, a little.
Via Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic, owner Michael Bidwill faced several questions about the fact that his franchise doesn’t have a team president.
Asked why the team doesn’t have a president, Bidwill said, “I am the team president.”
Asked why the team doesn’t have a president who is independent from ownership, Bidwill said, “I am the team president.”
Asked whether that’s the best way to operate the team, Bidwill said, “Next question.”
Only seven NFL franchises don’t have a president. The others are the Cowboys, Giants, Buccaneers, Bengals, Steelers, and Colts.
The Cardinals have a G.M., a COO, a CFO, a chief legal officer, and a chief people officer.
A team president would add an expensive line item to the budget. By doing the job himself, Bidwill avoids that expense. Which turns whatever the salary and benefits for the team president would be into additional profit.
Mike LaFleur wasn’t hired as the Cardinals’ head coach until February 1, which meant he was behind most other head coaches in building his staff. But LaFleur thinks that might be a good thing.
LaFleur says it’s true that many good assistant coaches already had their 2026 jobs lined up at the time LaFleur started the process of looking for assistants, but he believes the late start gave him an opportunity to take a look at coaches he otherwise might not have considered.
“Every day in January and early February, guys are getting plucked off,” LaFleur said. “But there’s so many good coaches out there, so you just go through the process. You lose one but sometimes when you lose one it might be the best thing that ever happened because you end up finding the next one that’s a better fit for us. You learn some things about some guys you might not have interviewed. Challenges, but I can flip it and say it’s actually a good thing.”
LaFleur said he got the only offensive coordinator he ever wanted in Nathaniel Hackett, and that he took some time to get to know the Cardinals’ incumbent defensive coordinator, Nick Rallis, and decided he was the best coach for the job. LaFleur said he’s close to having his full staff hired. And it’s a staff he likes.
