ESPN Corrects Report on D.J. Moore Status
Laura Rutledge reported Moore was inactive for Buffalo's Monday night game, but he was active and played against Minnesota.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Football
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ESPN's Laura Rutledge incorrectly reported that Bills wide receiver D.J. Moore was inactive for Buffalo's Monday night game against the Minnesota Vikings. Rutledge apologized and corrected the report, and Buffalo won the game 23-6.
Why it matters
The error stemmed from outdated information tied to Moore's status in Buffalo's Week 5 game against the Rams, and it was corrected on air and online. The mistake highlights how quickly inaccurate player-status reports can spread during live national broadcasts.
The report was based on Moore's status from Buffalo's Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Rams, and Buffalo listed him with no injury designation on its final report. The source does not explain how that outdated information was used in the broadcast.
The players
Laura Rutledge
Rutledge is an ESPN sports reporter who covers the NFL and appears on the network's NFL Live coverage.
D.J. Moore
Moore is a Buffalo Bills wide receiver who was the subject of the incorrect inactive report.
The details
Rutledge reported the inactive status on ESPN's NFL Live before issuing a correction, and within 30 minutes responded to a fan on X, writing, "It's completely my fault. DJ MOORE IS ACTIVE TONIGHT!!!" Moore then caught three passes for 25 yards on five targets and ran once for 11 yards in the win.
Timeline
Week 5: Moore was inactive for Buffalo's game against the Los Angeles Rams.
November 1: Moore returned against the Baltimore Ravens, catching four passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Monday night: Rutledge incorrectly reported Moore inactive for the Vikings game.
November 9: A fan posted on X about Rutledge's inactive report.
Broadcast Accuracy
The correction fits a pattern in ESPN's NFL Live coverage of real-time player-status reporting during live broadcasts. The error came from information tied to Moore's Week 5 status rather than a current injury designation.
Fantasy managers who relied on the inactive report for Moore would have had incorrect information for Monday's game, since he was active and recorded five targets. Verifying a player's status against the team's official injury report is the step that would have caught the outdated information.
The takeaway
Live reporting of player status can spread outdated information quickly, so checking a team's official final injury report is the reliable way to confirm whether a player is active. The correction was issued on air and in a public post, which allowed viewers to see the update.
Further reading
For more on how NFL game-day roster news is reported, see Football coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by EssentiallySports.
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