LSU Football’s Thaddeus Moss on Decision to Sign With Redskins, How Going Undrafted Has Fueled Him

Moss chose Redskins over Bengals, Patriots because "they called first"

One of the surprises of the 2020 NFL Draft from an LSU perspective was watching tight end Thaddeus Moss go undrafted.

On his way to helping LSU win a national championship, Moss hauled in 47 passes for 570 yards and four touchdowns. The Tigers’ tight end set program records in yards and catches and was viewed as a reliable pass catching prospect that could also affect the run block game as well. 

Instead he found himself in a precarious situation, ultimately deciding to sign as a free agent with the Redskins. But there was another team that reportedly had interest in Moss, the Cincinnati Bengals who drafted LSU teammate Joe Burrow two days prior.

It's been well reported that Moss and Burrow became very close over the last two years in Baton Rouge. Burrow's NCAA record-breaking 59th touchdown of the season went to Moss in the third quarter of LSU's 42-25 win over Clemson.

In fact, it was Moss who admitted that he nearly shed a tear for his teammate and friend when he was accepting the Heisman trophy in November. 

"I almost teared up, I was just so happy for him," Moss told the media after Burrow's Heisman ceremony. "Me, Joe and Clyde, we're really close, I mean that's the main group."

It turns out the reason was simply that the Redskins called first.

Thaddeus Moss says the Bengals and Patriots were also interested in signing him after the draft. He chose the Redskins because they called first.

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) May 13, 2020

Moss said he considered it "a slap in the face" when he didn't get drafted, particularly after being a key component of LSU's historic offense. 

“Having picked kickers and punters, special-teams guys getting picked over me, I definitely felt some type of way over it,” Moss said in a video conference call on Wednesday. “It’s no difference. I’ve always had to prove myself my whole life, having the last name I have. I always had to prove everybody wrong or just prove myself right my whole life.”

Carrying that last name "Moss" hasn't always been the easiest thing for Thad, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss. The comparisons do get a bit old, especially as he tries to build a future and identity all his own.

“Having the last name that I have, people think I was handed a lot of things, but it’s the opposite," Moss said.

“I’m just tired of the comparisons. This is no different than what I had to do my whole life. Everybody keeps mentioning my father, mentioning his last name, but just the identity I want to make is my own identity. I look forward to making a name for myself."

In Washington, he'll be able to build a name all his own as one of positions the Redskins lack true depth in is tight end. Logan Thomas, Richard Rogers and Marcus Baugh are the tight ends Moss will be competing with come training camp.