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Randy Moss Reacts to Patriots' Heartwarming Pregame Tribute for Legendary WR

The tributes continue to pour in for legendary NFL receiver Randy Moss.

Tom Dierberger

Randy Moss announced his cancer diagnosis earlier this month.
Randy Moss announced his cancer diagnosis earlier this month. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The tributes continue to pour in for legendary NFL receiver Randy Moss.

Moss, who announced his cancer diagnosis in early December, was honored Saturday before the New England Patriots' matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

As the Patriots players ran out to the field during pregame announcements, they followed a staff member holding a flag with "Moss" and the No. 81—his jersey number for four years in New England—printed on both sides. The Patriots also played a tribute video in honor of Moss on the jumbotron before the game.

Moss more than appreciated the gesture.

"It's the BIG crybaby here," he wrote on social media. "Wanna thank you all for this! [Love] is always in the air."

Moss announced on Dec. 13 that he was recently diagnosed with cancer that was found between his pancreas and liver. He underwent an extensive surgery at a Charlotte-area hospital and spent six days in the hospital. On an Instagram Live stream, Moss said that he has chemotherapy and radiation treatments ahead of him, but he aims to be back on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown in the future.

The Minnesota Vikings also honored Moss shortly after his announcement. Former Vikings teammates Cris Carter and Jake Reed walked out for the coin toss before a game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium while holding a No. 84 Moss jersey. Star receiver Justin Jefferson also gave Moss a shoutout after scoring a touchdown that night, too.

Moss recently launched a website—RandyMoss.com—to raise money and fight cancer.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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