Randy Moss stepped away from Sunday NFL Countdown on ESPN in December to focus on a personal health challenge. Moss later revealed that he was facing cancer and had completed a procedure to remove a cancerous mass found in his bile duct between the pancreas and liver. Leading up to Super Bowl LIX, Moss was on the field at Caesars Superdome behind the desk alongside his ESPN colleagues returning to the show and watched a video that included messages from Tom Brady, Kevin Garnett and Bill Belichick welcoming him back. Moss shed tears after the video premiered and expressed his gratitude for being back on television.
“It’s been hard, but I got a lot of love and a lot of people believed in me, man,” Moss said. “So I’m happy to be here, man. You said, ‘Greeny, don’t do it again.’ Let’s get this show started, man. God bless you all, man. God is good, man.”
Throughout the season, Moss has worked alongside host Mike Greenberg, insider Adam Schefter and analysts Rex Ryan, Tedy Burschi and Alex Smith on the studio pregame show. Moss is the longest-tenured analyst on the Sunday NFL Countdown panel and has also contributed to other studio shows on the network throughout his tenure. Viewers became concerned about his well-being after his eyes appeared to be yellow on a previous edition of the show, and he subsequently wore sunglasses and explained that he was battling something internally. Moss expanded on what was taking place with his eyes and emphasized men to receive blood work.
Upon learning that he had been diagnosed with cancer, the Sunday NFL Countdown team gave their well wishes and expressed support for their colleague. Moss had not appeared on the show since the Week 14 episode, but he successfully made his return on Super Bowl Sunday ahead of the championship game.
The 14-year NFL veteran retired from the league in 2012 and joined Sunday NFL Countdown four years later, becoming a fixture on the venerated football program. Moss is second in NFL history with 156 touchdown catches and ranks fourth with 15,292 receiving yards. In a speech from the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday night, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson expressed how Moss was an icon and recognized him at the ceremony. Moss then appeared in a video to present the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
“When I was diagnosed with the cancer, I was talking to Seth Markman and I said, ‘You know, I’m going to stay strong. I’m going to beat this thing,’ and my goal was to be here with you guys,” Moss explained to start the show. “So man, God bless you guys for staying strong with me with the prayers, the prayer warriors, my doctors, my beautiful wife traveling with me, man. Where would I not want to be if I couldn’t be here with you guys, Super Bowl LIX? It’s a great day to be here.”
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