NFL legend Randy Moss has quietly been battling health issues and as a result, he’ll be stepping away from his role as co-host of ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” for an extended period.
In a statement released by ESPN on Friday, they stated, “Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss will step away from ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ for an extended time to focus on a personal health challenge. He briefly addressed the matter at the start of the show on Dec. 1.”
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The statement continued, “For nearly a decade, Randy has been an invaluable member of the team, consistently elevating ‘Countdown’ with his insight and passion. He has ESPN’s full support, and we look forward to welcoming him back when he is ready.”
Last weekend, between segments of “Sunday NFL Countdown,” Moss posted a video that addressed the rumors that he was dealing with a health issue.
“This is a message for all the men. Throughout the week of the holidays, your boy has been battling something internal,” he said in the Instagram video. “I just ask for all the prayer warriors to put their blessing hands on me and my family through these hard times.”
He continued, “People were talking about my eyes last week and you know I’m here, so if you see these on ‘Sunday NFL Countdown [puts sunglasses on]. ... Like I said I’m battling something internal, and your boy is gonna get through it. I got a great team of doctors and I got a great family around me. All you men do your checkups, get your blood work done and we’ll work through it.”
Moss also opened up about his health problems while the show was on the air. “I put a post up maybe a few minutes ago on Instagram just telling people – you were talking about my eyes last week and I just want to let the viewers know that me and my wife, me and my family, we are battling something internally.
“I couldn’t miss the show,” he added. “I wanted to be here with you guys.”
The concern for Moss initially arose last week, as several fans on social media shared their concern for the influential receiver, asking why his eyes appeared to be so yellow.
Some even pointed out that it could be a sign of liver issues.
While he never shared any specific details on what he was battling, it’s good to see that he’s still able to go on TV and discuss the sport he loves. It’s also encouraging to hear that he appears to be facing his health issues head-on.
As a player, Randy Moss is considered one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. He’s second all-time in career touchdown receptions with 156, and fourth in career receiving yards with 15, 292. He also broke the record for most receiving touchdowns in a season with 23.
His play on the field was so influential that fans turned his name into a verb. When a receiver catches a pass over a defender, people will say the defender got “mossed.”
The Root will continue to provide updates on this story as they’re made available.
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