The son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss angrily reacted Tuesday to a social media post that appeared to reveal what illness his father is currently battling.
The former Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots great announced Dec. 1 on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” that he is “battling something internal” and asked for prayers. Later in the week, ESPN said Moss would be taking a leave of absence from the network to deal with a medical condition it did not disclose.
However, journalist Larry Fitzgerald Sr., father of retired NFL wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, wrote in a post on X that he heard Moss had been diagnosed with liver cancer.
That prompted a response from Moss’ son Thaddeus, who called Fitzgerald’s post “disgusting” and added, “You have no right to try to make private matters public for the sake of engagement.”
From our Wellness coverage:Michael Strahan’s heartbreaking revelation comes with a lesson about privacy
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
The report was further amplified by Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, who played with Moss when the wide receiver briefly returned to Minnesota in 2010.
“Brett, the support is appreciated, truly,” Thaddeus Moss responded on X. “This is not true. My father will address the world when he is ready to.”
Randy Moss, 47, starred in the NFL for 13 years and retired in 2011 before coming back for one final season in 2012. He ranks second on the career receiving touchdowns list with 156 (behind only Jerry Rice) and fourth all-time in receiving yards with 15,292.
While on the ESPN set before taking his leave of absence, Moss recorded a video in which he asked for prayers from his followers.
“Throughout the week of the holidays, your boy has been battling something internally,” Moss said in an Instagram video. “I just ask for all the prayer warriors to put their blessed hands on me and my family through these hard times.”