Believe It or Not, Randy Moss Sparked the Comeback
After almost an eight-month-long hiatus, the Minnesota Vikings finally returned for a meaningful football game on Monday, when they secured the victory over the Chicago Bears in the 2025 season opener. A player who has put his fingerprints on that divisional rivalry is Hall of Famer Randy Moss.
Believe It or Not, Randy Moss Sparked the Comeback
Moss, a 1998 first-round pick, has turned from that pick into one of the most prolific players in franchise and NFL history. His final NFL action as a player came in 2012 with the San Francisco 49ers. Of course, as someone with natural charisma, he has been featured on ESPN’s football coverage.
During Monday’s game, he made an appearance on the Manningcast, ESPN’s alternate way to watch the game, alongside the usual broadcast with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Eli and Peyton Manning host guests and chat about the game, as well as other topics, and it’s quite a fun watch.
Moss’ time came in the fourth quarter, and the Bears had a commanding 17-6 lead when Moss smiled into the camera for the first time. That’s when the Vikings finally turned it on. You can watch the entire segment here.
Very early in the hour-long appearance, Moss predicted that Justin Jefferson would catch the next touchdown. A minute later, number 18 indeed caught a J.J. McCarthy laser for six points, and suddenly, we had a ball game.
And that was just the first of three Vikings touchdowns the man oversaw on live television. J.J. McCarthy’s crew scored 21 unanswered points and ultimately pulled off the close 27-24 victory. One might wonder whether the squad saved all the good plays for the fourth quarter for Mr. Moss.
Moss, one of the best football players to ever exist, has recently made news from a health perspective. A scary cancer diagnosis shocked the NFL world in December, but he completed his cancer treatment, rang the ball, and even returned to the ESPN set in Week 1.
Si.com’s Madison Williams noted after his return, “Last December, Randy Moss’s time on ESPN for the NFL season was cut short after doctors found cancer between his pancreas and liver, causing him to undergo surgery to get it removed. He’s been undergoing cancer treatments since then in order to return back on the air in time for the 2025 NFL season to kick off.”
The Hall of Famer turned 48 in February.
“Moss was welcomed back with open arms by his fellow ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown crew on Sunday ahead of the first full slate of games in Week 1. The show announced that Moss recently rang the bell to mark him being done with cancer treatments,” Williams added.
Vikings fans might want to start a petition to have ESPN do the Manningcast for every game, of course, with Moss on the screen. The next contest will be on Sunday, with another primetime performance for McCarthy. Sunday Night Football will, as always, be shown on NBC, this time with the Vikings hosting the Atlanta Falcons and their backup quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Moss had stints with the Vikings, Raiders, Patriots, Titans, and 49ers. Throughout his career, he managed to accumulate 218 games, 982 receptions for 15,292 yards, and 156 touchdowns. He ranks fourth in yards and second in touchdowns in NFL history.