Vikings Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss reveals diagnosis: ‘Your boy is a cancer survivor’

Moss shared Friday that cancer was discovered in his bile duct and that he had a six-hour operation to treat it.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
December 14, 2024 at 12:15AM
Randy Moss was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. (Ron Schwane/The Associated Press)

Vikings Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss shared on Instagram Live on Friday that cancer was found in his bile duct and he had a six-hour surgery to remove it.

“Your boy is a cancer survivor,” Moss said in the opening minutes of the live stream.

Moss, 47, spent six days in the hospital, he said, and was released Friday.

Moss used a cane as he came into frame and sat down. He was wearing a sweatshirt and beanie from his new Team Moss merchandise line, which feature the phrases “Let’s Moss Cancer” and “We Got Moss.” He said most of the proceeds from the merchandise will go toward cancer research.

Moss said that on Thanksgiving, he had a two-hour operation in which a stent was put in his liver because waste was escaping into his urinary tract. Cancer was found in his bile duct between his pancreas and his liver.

The surgery to remove the cancer is called a “whipple procedure” and took six hours. Also known as a pancreaticoduodenectomy, the surgery removes the head of the pancreas, part of the small intestine, the gallbladder and the bile duct.

Moss shouted out his surgeon, John B. Martinie, an oncologist in Charlotte, N.C., multiple times during the live stream.

He will undergo chemotherapy and radiation as a continuation of his treatment.

Moss had been serving as an analyst on ESPN’s “Sunday Football Countdown.” He stepped away from the role on Dec. 6, citing health concerns.

“My ESPN crew… As soon as I get healthy to get back out there with you guys, I promise ya, I will be back on set,” Moss said.

Moss played 14 seasons in the NFL, playing for the Vikings from 1998 to 2004 and in 2010. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

After Moss’ initial announcement of his health concerns, current Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell extended him well wishes during a news conference.

“On behalf of the whole Minnesota Vikings organization, just send him our well wishes and support,” O’Connell said. “We love Randy and know our fan base feels the same way. He’s really revered by all Vikings fans, and really by all NFL fans, with the Hall of Famer that he is, and I just want to let him know that we’re here for him.”

about the writer

about the writer

Emily Leiker

Sports Reporter

Emily Leiker covers the Vikings for the Minnesota Star Tribune. She was previously the Syracuse football beat writer for Syracuse.com & The Post-Standard, covering everything from bowl games to coaching changes and even a player-filed lawsuit against SU. Emily graduated from Mizzou in 2022 is originally from Washington state.

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