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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson paid tribute to Pro Football Hall of Famer and legendary Vikings receiver Randy Moss after his touchdown reception against the Chicago Bears Monday (December 16).
Jefferson shouted, "we love you, Randy, that's for you" into the ESPN camera for Moss, who announced his recent cancer diagnosis last week, on a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Darnold with 5:04 remaining in the first quarter.
Moss, 47, said he recently underwent a six-hour surgery for bile duct cancer and had a Whipple procedure, which followed a 2.5-hour procedure he underwent on Thanksgiving to put a stent in his liver.
“By the grace of God, my liver started acting up,” Moss said in an Instagram livestream last Friday (December 13).
ESPN announced Moss would "step away" from ESPN's NFL pregame show Sunday NFL Countdown as he continues to battle a serious health issue in a statement shared on December 6.
“My goal is to get back on that television with my team,” Moss said in the video confirming his diagnosis.
Moss, widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all-time, played 14 seasons in the NFL after being selected by the Vikings at No. 21 overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. The West Virginia spent his first seven seasons with the franchise -- as well as four games in 2010 -- before being traded to the then-Oakland Raiders in 2005 and New England Patriots in 2007, while also appearing in games for the Tennessee Titans in 2010 and San Francisco 49ers in 2012.
Moss recorded 982 receptions for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns during his 12-year NFL career and was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, as well as the College Football Hall of Fame earlier this year. Last year, Moss called Jefferson "the No. 1 wide receiver in the National Football League" while speaking to TMZ Sports.
Jefferson, who played with Moss' son, Thaddeus, for three seasons at LSU, which included the Tigers' undefeated national championship season in 2019, broke the Hall of Famer's record for most receiving yards in the first three seasons of an NFL career in 2022, having previously surpassed his total for his first two seasons and becoming the first Vikings receiver since Moss to record more than 1,100 yards as a rookie.