Before the start of the Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots game on Saturday at Gilette Stadium in New England, the Patriots paid tribute to one of their own. Randy Moss is a Hall of Fame wideout who played in New England from 2007-10. Moss was unstoppable throughout his career but made history as a Patriot.
In 2007 Moss had an NFL-high 23 touchdowns for a Patriots team that went on to finish a perfect 16-0 during the regular season. Moss is a six-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro who dots the NFL all-time receiving record books with 156 receiving touchdowns in his career (second all-time) and 15,292 receiving yards (fourth all-time).
New England is having one of its worst seasons to date as they entered Saturday’s contest against the Chargers with a record of 3-12, good for last place in the AFC East. But the crowd erupted before kickoff when the “Moss 81” flew across the gridiron and a video tribute began playing on the big screen. It was a special scene.
Lead us out 81 @RandyMoss 👏 pic.twitter.com/1HPOYb2CNr
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 28, 2024
Randy Moss Announces Cancer Diagnosis
Moss told fans that he recently had a Whipple procedure, which “involves removing the head of the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine, the gallbladder, and the bile duct,” according to the Mayo Clinic. “The Whipple procedure is also called a pancreaticoduodenectomy. It’s often used to treat pancreatic cancer that hasn’t spread beyond the pancreas.”
On Instagram Live, Moss spoke to fans and said he is now a cancer survivor. In addition to the recent procedure, Moss is also undergoing chemotherapy.
“All the prayers, the well wishes, I really felt that, my family felt that,” Moss said on IG Live. “As soon as I get healthy to get back out with guys, I will be on set. … Hopefully, I can be with you guys soon. My goal is to get back on television with my team.”
On the Dec. 1 episode of “NFL Sunday Countdown,” Moss revealed that he was “battling something internally” and explained he would be wearing glasses throughout the show (since fans pointed out that his eyes looked a bit yellow the week before). In a display of solidarity, Moss’ “Sunday NFL Countdown” colleagues also wore glasses.
Moss is an icon for the sport of football. The phrase “You Got Mossed!” was popularized and yelled at recesses throughout the country and has become one of the more popular phrases in football. When a wide receiver jumps up and hauls in a pass over a defender, it is simply “ya got Mossed!” That is how often Moss embarrassed defenders.
As the NFL legend is in the fight of his life, football fans across the globe are hoping, cheering, and expecting Randy Moss to pull off another special feat … Mossing cancer.