Randy Moss Returns to ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ After Cancer Treatment

Randy Moss is back on Sunday NFL Countdown.

The NFL Hall of Famer, 48, made his long-awaited return to the ESPN show on Sunday, Sept. 7, after his cancer diagnosis forced him to sit out the final two months of last season. Moss has since completed treatment for bile duct cancer, a milestone he marked with a ring of the bell — and a moment that his ESPN colleagues celebrated during his emotional return.

“We’ve got a lot, and I mean a lot, of video in today’s show, but none of it will be better than this, because not long ago, our dear friend Randy Moss had this moment, one that we and all football fans everywhere had been waiting to see,” said Countdown co-host Mike Greenberg as footage of Moss ringing the bell rolled.

The video showed the legendary wide receiver celebrating the completion of treatment for bile duct cancer at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte. Moss could be seen celebrating with staff at the North Carolina cancer center before walking out of the building with his wife, Lydia.

Moss’ remission comes after the retired NFL star underwent chemotherapy and radiation, as well as a “complex, six-hour procedure that removed parts of several organs,” according to Robin Roberts, who spoke with Moss for a recent Good Morning America story.

“It’s just a great day, man,” Moss said during his Countdown return, smiling widely. He then gave a “shout-out” to his doctor while recalling his appearance on the program during Super Bowl 2025 back in February, months after stepping away from ESPN late last year to focus on his health.

“I remember seeing you guys on Super Bowl Sunday, and that was one of my goals, to get here,” the NFL commentator said, “and now all my treatment is over, ringing the bell, now I’m back with the family, man.”

Greenberg, meanwhile, declared that “there will be no better news” as the Countdown co-hosts begin their week 1 analysis.

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Moss first announced that he was stepping away from ESPN in December 2024. “For nearly a decade, Randy has been an invaluable member of the team, consistently elevating Countdown with his insight and passion,” the network said in a statement on Dec. 6. “He has ESPN’s full support, and we look forward to welcoming him back when he is ready.”

Shortly after, Moss opened up about his cancer diagnosis in an Instagram Live, revealing that he had undergone surgery and been hospitalized for nearly a week.

He said he noticed his urine was discolored and sought medical attention, and that’s when his doctors made the cancer diagnosis. “They found it in the bile duct right between the pancreas and the liver, and that the cancer was sitting right outside the bile duct,” he said at the time.

He underwent the first of several surgeries on Thanksgiving Day to insert a stent into his liver, the NFL commentator told his followers. Among them was a Whipple procedure, which is an operation that treats tumors and other conditions in the pancreas, small intestine and bile ducts, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Moss also urged his followers, and particularly fellow Black men, to undergo regular cancer screenings. “By the grace of God, my liver started acting up,” he said in the Instagram Live, later adding: “I didn’t think I would ever be in a position like this, as healthy as I thought I was.”