ESPN analyst and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss is expected to return to a full-time role on Sunday NFL Countdown this fall after missing the final stretch of last season due to a cancer diagnosis, the network confirmed to The Athletic.
Moss, 48, stepped away from ESPN in December after revealing during an Instagram Live session that he had been diagnosed with cancer located in the bile duct between the pancreas and liver. The former NFL star detailed a six-day hospital stay in the Charlotte area, where he underwent surgery and had a stent inserted into his liver to address complications. Moss also noted he would begin radiation and chemotherapy treatments as part of his recovery.
“Randy’s return on Super Bowl Sunday was an emotional lift — not just for our team but for the entire football community — and knowing he will resume his full Sunday NFL Countdown schedule, beginning in Week 1, has been the highlight of the offseason,” ESPN said in a statement provided to The Athletic.
Despite his health challenges, Moss made an emotional on-air return during ESPN’s Super Bowl coverage in February, reuniting with Countdown colleagues Rex Ryan, Tedy Bruschi, Alex Smith, and host Mike Greenberg.
The 2024 NFL season will mark Moss’s 10th year with ESPN. Since joining the network in 2016, the former Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots wide receiver has become a fan-favorite studio analyst known for his candid takes, elite football IQ, and authentic on-screen presence.
His return adds a familiar and beloved voice back into ESPN’s Sunday NFL coverage, which continues to compete for attention in a crowded football media landscape. With Tom Brady joining Fox Sports this season and NBC continuing to push Football Night in America, Moss’s comeback gives ESPN a boost in stability and star power heading into the fall.
Barring any setbacks, Moss will resume weekly appearances beginning with Week 1, bringing his signature energy back to fans across the country on Sunday mornings.
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