QB Brock Purdy talks about 49ers heading into Super Bowl I
NFL quarterback Brock Purdy talks about the pressures at the QB position, the injuries that derailed the 49ers’ season, and his partnership with Toyota.
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Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts attended a celebration of life for former NFL wide receiver Rondale Moore on March 6 in New Albany, Indiana.
Pitts lamented in a social media post that only a handful of Moore’s NFL teammates were in attendance at the event.
“It’s crazy that only 6 or 7 of my NFL teammates showed up today,” Pitts wrote in part on his Instagram Story. “You’re talking about fake emotions and no one’s coming to give you a break. You’re just speechless.”
Moore passed away on Saturday, February 21st, at the age of 25. New Albany Police Chief Todd Bailey told USA TODAY that Moore was found in a garage with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Moore’s death sparked conversations about mental health among players, coaches and NFL executives alike. Many paid tribute to Moore on social media, including Pitts, who became close with Moore during the 2024 season they spent together in Atlanta.
“There’s no way this is real,” Pitts wrote in an Instagram post featuring a photo of the two on a merry-go-round. “I’m really just sitting here crying without even thinking about what to say or think.”
“We were literally just on the phone yesterday morning,” he added. “I’m so hurt, Dad, I never thought I’d be posting something like this, let alone about you! Rondale, you’re so at peace watching over us right now, but I wish you’d never deserted us. We love you Dad, and 4 will live on forever.”
Moore’s death was greeted with an outpouring of sympathy at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
“This is an absolutely tragic situation,” Cardinals general manager Monty Ossenfort told reporters. “We just came off a great event at State Farm Stadium and found out the news Saturday night. It was shocking. I had only been with Ron Dale for a year. His competitiveness, how important football was to him, and when he played… It’s really sad. I mean, I’ve seen the intensity of our players, but some of us knew him better than others. I benefited from being with him for a year. So it’s a very, very tragic situation.”
Meanwhile, Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry detailed the challenges athletes face during the “isolation” that comes with “the grueling process of getting back to health” after a major injury.
“Before I got here, I was actually going back and reviewing all the notes I had written with Rondale during the draft process. Rondale was a young man who was incredibly highly regarded by everyone around him and had an incredibly bright future,” Berry said. “And I thought people didn’t realize how difficult the rehabilitation process is for professional athletes, especially when they sustain a major injury.
“And it’s not just the grueling process of getting healthy, but the loneliness that often comes with it. And for people in their early 20s or mid-20s who may be experiencing a career setback for the first time or don’t have the communal aspect that typically comes with college, that can be frustrating.”
“As a league, we think we can do a better job by providing resources to clubs to make sure they have that touchpoint. It’s something we’re very proactive about and we’re very sensitive to. We want as many players as possible to be able to rehab locally or be on site and be part of that team. We’re encouraging our players to stay in the meetings and we’re also planning regular check-ins with the team psychiatrist and team psychologist.”That’s a real factor, but I think it’s an incredible tragedy that we should be more aware of.” ”
Moore missed the final two years of his NFL career due to injury. He suffered a season-ending knee injury before the start of the 2024 season with the Falcons and the 2025 season with the Minnesota Vikings.
After a standout career at Purdue, Moore was a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and spent his first three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
