Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore was found dead at age 25 of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound in New Albany, Indiana, the The Floyd County coroner confirmed to New York Times on Feb. 21. Now, fans believe the NFL pro's "heartbreaking" final Instagram post three days before his death hinted that he was struggling with his mental health. The official cause of death is still under investigation.
Moore shared what appeared to be a normal photo dump on Feb. 18, showing him hanging out with friends, chilling by a beautiful pool, shopping, working out, and enjoying a sunny day by the beach. One photo shows him with a tote bag that says "work in progress" on the side. However, it is the last photo in the carousel that raised concern among fans.
The final slide shows a screenshot of lyrics from rapper EST Gee's 2024 song "Go" that seem especially poignant following Moore's tragic death: "Stitched up the last eight months, but it changed nothin', I don't feel no better."
Statement from the Minnesota Vikings on Rondale Moore's tragic passing. pic.twitter.com/vyj7gbV336
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) February 22, 2026
"Heartbreaking... Check on your people-mental health matters. RIP #25," wrote one fan on X in response to the post, while another added, "This is heartbreaking."
Also featured in the carousel were photos by Moore's friend and creative collaborator JayFlickz, who he tagged in the post. JayFlickz took to his own Instagram Stories with a heartbreaking message after learning of Moore's death. "U hurt me bro [heartbreak emoji href="https://parade.com/living/emoji-meanings"\] not like this," he captioned a photo with his friend.
Moore's former teammate, Hollywood Brown, was also stunned by the news. "Bro ain't no way brotha you just messaged me few hours ago," he wrote with a crying amoji, adding in a separate post, "You wasn't alone bro.. I told you I know how you feel."
The league honored the player, writing, "The NFL is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Rondale Moore. Our thoughts are with Rondale's family, friends and teammates during this difficult time."
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