Two months after stepping back due to health reasons, Randy Moss made his emotional return to ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown on Sunday — just in time for the Super Bowl. Moss stepped back from the program in December, later revealing that he had cancer, and had undergone successful surgery.
The NFL Countdown team kicked off Sunday’s Super Bowl program by welcoming Moss back, prompting an emotional response from the members of the desk. “Y’all already know it’s the big cry, baby,” Moss said, wiping tears.
Moss, who has been an analyst on the show since 2016, said that he was happy to be back, and thanked the people who had supported him throughout the process.
“Hey y’all, I can’t do it alone,” Moss said, thanking his former NFL teammates, including Tom Brady and former coach Bill Belichick. “It’s been hard, but I got a lot of love and a lot of people believe in me, man.”
NFL Countdown host Mike Greenberg admitted that they had promised Moss that they wouldn’t do any kind of tribute to him, but Moss seemed appreciative.
“I’m happy to be here,” Moss said, then joked: “Greenie, don’t do it again. Let’s get this show started.”
On Dec. 13, Moss announced that he had undergone successful surgery to remove cancerous cells in his bile duct, which had been discovered during a separate procedure. At the time, he said that he still had to go through chemotherapy and radiation, but said that he wanted to return to the desk as soon as possible.
ESPN had announced the week before that Moss would be stepping back “for an extended time to focus on a personal health challenge.”
“He has ESPN’s full support, and we look forward to welcoming him back when he is ready,” the network added in the statement.
Moss had previously drawn attention to his health problems, when he wore sunglasses during an episode of NFL countdown.
Moss made a remote appearance during the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday, announcing Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow as the Comeback Player of the Year. During the spot, Moss wore a hoodie and hat he created in the wake of his cancer diagnosis, with the slogan “Team Moss: Let’s Moss Cancer”; sales from the merchandise benefit cancer research.
