Randy Moss made his long-awaited return “Sunday NFL Countdown” ahead of Super Bowl LIX, and the Hall of Fame wide receiver was unable to fight back tears when the pregame show aired a tribute to him.
Moss took a leave from ESPN in December to deal with a health issue. He later revealed that he had surgery for bile duct cancer. The 47-year-old also said he underwent a surgery on Thanksgiving to put a stent in his liver and that he would need to have chemotherapy and radiation.
In honor of his return to television on Sunday, ESPN put together an outstanding “welcome back” video for Moss. The tribute included messages from Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Jerry Rice, Kevin Garnett and other sports icons. Moss became very emotional during the segment.
“Hey, guys, it’s been hard, but I got a lot of love and a lot of people believing in me. I’m happy to be here, man,” Moss said.
“It is so great to have you back.” – Tom Brady
Bill Belichick, Kevin Garnett and Justin Jefferson, among others, join Brady in welcoming back Randy Moss pic.twitter.com/ZwUhvgsOTT
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 9, 2025
Several players had also paid tribute to Moss while he was away from ESPN.
Moss first revealed that he was dealing with a health issue after fans became concerned over his appearance. The issue unfortunately turned out to be a serious one, but it is a positive sign that Moss was able to return to his usual analyst role for the Super Bowl.
Moss, a six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, played in the NFL from 1998-2012. He led the league in touchdown catches five times in his career. Moss has been working as an analyst with ESPN since 2016.
