Late last year, when Randy Moss suddenly disappeared from Sunday NFL Countdown, fans braced for bad news. Two days later, he revealed on Instagram Live that a cancerous mass in his bile duct required a six-hour Whipple surgery: “Your boy is a cancer survivor.” He described placing a stent on Thanksgiving and facing chemo and radiation for the treatment of his disease. No hype—just stark reality, and a man leaning into grit and family support.

Come February, Moss returned to ESPN for Super Bowl coverage, greeted by a tribute video featuring Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and Justin Jefferson. Tears welled as he said, “I got a lot of love and a lot of people believing in me. I’m happy to be here.” No scripted comeback—just raw gratitude. His journey story unfolded not on the field, but through surgery, silence, and surgical follow-ups. Now, he’s back, with a deeper perspective that will shape every analysis he delivers.

On Tuesday, July 1, The Athletic’s senior writer, Andrew Marchand, announced that “After missing two months last season following a cancer diagnosis, Hall of Famer Randy Moss is expected to return full-time on ESPN’s NFL Countdown this year.” To make this news official, ESPN released its official statement with an emotional message for the Hall of Famer.

“Randy’s return on Super Bowl Sunday was an emotional lift—not just for our team but for the entire football community—and knowing he will resume full Sunday NFL Countdown schedule, beginning in Week 1, has been the highlight of this offseason,” ESPN told The Athletic. Indeed. With the 2025 regular season a couple of months ahead, Randy Moss’ return to the Sunday NFL Countdown is nothing but delighted news of this offseason.

While the last season was cut short due to his cancer diagnosis, the way things are unfolding, it’s safe to say that one of the greatest players to ever play in the league is all set to talk about the sport in the 2025 season. The sport he dominated throughout his Hall of Fame career. The ex-NFLer was diagnosed last November with bile duct cancer and had to miss out on the final two months of the season.

But the NFL legend returned for the biggest showdown of the season—the Super Bowl. And ever since, skepticism has been swirling around his return. Finally, the 48-year-old analyst will make his full-time return to ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown.

When the game paused: Randy Moss reveals his cancer battle

Following the wrap-up of his NFL career, Randy Moss didn’t wait long to swap cleats for a mic. He joined Fox Sports 1’s Fox Football Daily Show as an analyst. Fast forward to 2016, Moss then went on to join ESPN in July 2016 as an analyst, where he started appearing on Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown. The 48-year-old NFL legend is now returning for his tenth year with ESPN.

But let’s face it—the journey wasn’t as straightforward as it seems. He first drew attention to his health problems when he wore sunglasses during an episode of NFL Countdown back in December 2024. “I have some great doctors around me. I couldn’t miss the show, I wanted to be here with you guys, I feel great. But if y’all see me with these Michigan turnover glasses that I have on, it’s not being disrespectful,” Moss said. “I’m battling something.”

Prior to the show, Moss revealed that the “internal” issues had been getting worse, and he’d be wearing glasses while appearing on the show. A few days later, the ESPN analyst stepped away from the show. And the following week, he introduced himself as a cancer survivor on Instagram Live. Moss explained that he underwent a six-hour surgical procedure (to put a stent in his liver) to treat a cancerous mass found in his bile duct.

Following radiation and chemotherapy, Randy Moss is now all set to return to his analyst gig. As a cancer survivor.