One otherworldly wide receiver was thinking about another on Monday night.
Moments after a 7-yard touchdown catch, Minnesota Vikings three-time Pro Bowler Justin Jefferson sought out the camera and shouted out a message to Hall of Famer Randy Moss.
“We love you Randy!” Jefferson screamed into the camera. “That’s for you.”
Jefferson’s TD -- and the Vikings’ subsequent 30-12 win over the Chicago Bears -- came just three days after Moss announced he is battling cancer.
Moss’ fight loomed large for Minnesota in its first game since his revelation.
“I mean every game is a plan to get in the end zone, but I definitely wanted to give a tribute to him on one of my touchdowns,” said Jefferson after the game, donning Moss’ No. 84 Vikings jersey. “You know it was just great to have it done in the first quarter, and the first one. So definitely got to show that love to him, grateful for what he has done for this game and what he has done for me as a kid, just watching him and being a fan of him. Always got to show love towards him.”
Prior to the game, two of Moss’ former Vikings teammates -- fellow Hall of Famer Cris Carter and Jake Reed -- walked to the center of the field, trailing the Minnesota team captains, holding his jersey up high.
“I think it was important,” said Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, who was a teammate of Moss’ on the New England Patriots. “We talked internally this week about what we could do to show our support, our love for Randy. Everybody knows, former teammate of mine, but most importantly, you can feel the love for him in this building tonight.
“It was great to have CC and J-Reed here to carry his jersey out there, it was a heck of a moment. I know Justin had one when he scored his touchdown, don’t know exactly what he said, but I know it was showing his love for Randy. He means the world to this organization, his name’s up in the rafters, in the Ring of Honor, and Hall of Famer. He’s meant so much to the NFL, and I know the Twin Cities and what he was able to do here. We’re behind him every step of the way, we care about him and love him, and we just wanted to do whatever we could with the platform of Monday Night Football to make sure. Hopefully he was watching, and if it gave him any joy at all, then it was well worth it, because that’s how we feel about him.”
Moss was watching, replying to the video of his tribute with “LUV U ALL! #letsmosscancer” on social media.
Moss also took to social media last Friday to announce that he was being treated for cancer and in the midst of recovery from surgery. He clarified that cancer was found in his bile duct and underwent a procedure to remove the cancerous mass. He's now undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.
Having been working on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, Moss stepped away on Dec. 6.
The 47-year-old played from 1998 to 2012 with the Vikings, Raiders, Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and San Francisco 49ers, with his most prolific seasons coming with Minnesota and New England.
A member of the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class, Moss finished his career with four All-Pro nods, 982 receptions (16th in NFL history), 15,292 yards (fourth) and 156 touchdowns (second).
“I’ll always have him in my prayers,” said Jefferson, who has texted with Moss, “and the effect that he has on people, not just me but the whole world, is outstanding.”