Kevin Seifert, ESPN staff writer
MINNEAPOLIS — In a personal moment last week, Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson sent a text message to one of his heroes. Jefferson heard Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss was undergoing treatment for cancer and wanted to wish him good luck.
Days later, he made the tribute public. “We love you,” Jefferson yelled into the ESPN cameras after catching a 7-yard touchdown pass from Moss in the first quarter of the Vikings’ 30-12 win over the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Randy. This is for you.
After the game, Jefferson spoke in a heartfelt tone in the Vikings locker room.
“I appreciate everything he did for this game,” said Jefferson, wearing a purple replica of Moss’ jersey, “and everything he did for me when I was a kid. Just watching him and being him As a fan, I always want to express my love to him.”
Moss announced Friday that he underwent a six-hour surgery to remove a cancerous mass from his bile duct after earlier having a stent placed in his liver. He said he was hospitalized for six days and will undergo radiation and chemotherapy treatments while resigning as an analyst for ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown.”
The Vikings sent two of Moss’ former teammates, Chris Carter and Jack Reed, to centerfield as honorary captains during the coin toss during Monday night’s game. Each held the side of Moss’ jersey, prompting him Respond via X: “I like you.”
Like you!#letmosscancer https://t.co/925w4LJhNN
— Randy Moss (@RandyMoss) December 17, 2024
“It’s great to see these guys,” Jefferson said. “Those are the guys before us. Those are the big three before me, [Jalen Nailor] and [Jordan Addison] Comes in… They were brothers when they were playing and still are. It’s nice to see that they still have so much love for each other. “
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, who played with Moss on the New England Patriots in 2008, said the Vikings held an internal meeting last week to decide how to move forward. Moss tribute.
“You could feel the love for him in the building tonight,” O’Connell said. “He meant the world to this organization. His name hangs in the rafters of the Ring of Honor, he’s a Hall of Famer… … We’ve been supporting him, caring for him, loving him, and we’re just trying to do the best we can through the platform of “Monday Night Football” and hopefully he can see that, and if it brings him any joy, that’s great. It’s worth it because that’s how we feel about him.”
