“At this time I just want to keep a lot of things private and you all just bear with me. But like I said, I need your prayers,” Randy Moss had said this past Sunday on the set of Sunday NFL Countdown, revealing that he has been suffering from a serious health condition. Though the exact condition has yet to be revealed, the gravity of the situation can be anticipated from the fact that he will be away for a prolonged time from his ESPN stint to manage it.

On December 6, ESPN had announced it in a statement. “Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss will step away from” his Sunday morning pregame show in order “to focus on a personal health challenge. For nearly a decade, Randy has been an invaluable member of the team, consistently elevating ‘Countdown’ with his insight and passion. He has ESPN’s full support, and we look forward to welcoming him back when he is ready,” it read. Moss joined ESPN in 2016, four years after he retired from the NFL. According to The Athletic, Moss will not be replaced in the interim period. But look, how nicely ESPN has tried to fill the void.

The Sunday NFL Countdown pregame show on the network hosted the famed You Got Moss’d segment, just like Moss would have done. “Randy wants to see You Got Mossed today. He was adamant that we do it today, so we’ve got to do it right,” host Mike Greenberg said. For the unversed, the segment highlights the best catches in football. While Moss’ ESPN co-hosts did their bit, his other colleagues across broadcasting networks also expressed solidarity with him, as Moss had asked for.

During the FOX NFL Sunday show in Week 14, NFL legend Tom Brady, Moss’ former teammate with the New England Patriots, shared an emotional tribute. “One of the all-time great teammates and friends… We love you so much, man,” Brady said. “Our heart obviously is with you. Our prayers. All our positive energy. We love you so much, man,” he continued.

The heartfelt camaraderie continued as Michael Strahan and Terry Bradshaw joined in, sending “thoughts, prayers, and all our positive energy.” It’s clear Moss’ impact goes beyond the gridiron, uniting these legends in a touching moment of solidarity. “We’re thinking about you, Randy,” they shared. Brady’s connection with Moss dates back to 2007 when they played for the Patriots for a little over three seasons. In September, Brady had revealed an interesting fact about how he approached Moss based on the Hall Of Famer wide receiver’s personality.

“Randy Moss, who’s a Hall of Fame receiver, responded better to validation: ‘Man, Randy, you look amazing out there.’ Even in practice, if I went too long without throwing the ball to him, I’d go over and say how much I valued him and remind him that I was always looking for him on every play,” Brady had said.

Moss had productive seasons playing alongside Brady, including an NFL single-season record of 23 touchdowns in 2007, his maiden stint with the Patriots. He was also named Comeback Player of the Year that season. The four-time All-Pro First Team member requested to have his locker room beside Brady’s, which started their close connection. The latest instance of Brady hailing his former teammate once again rekindled that. Meanwhile, Moss’ condition continues to generate concerns and anticipations about what he might be up against.

Randy had opened up about his health issue one week before ESPN announced his hiatus. On December 1 Moss was given a moment to speak to viewers. “I just wanna share something with y’all. I put a post up on Instagram maybe a few minutes ago, telling people, talking about my eyes last week. And I just wanna let the viewers know that me and my wife – me and my family — we are battling something internally. You know, I have some great doctors around me,” he had said, addressing viewers’ concerns about his eyes appearing yellow during a broadcast, saying he planned to wear sunglasses occasionally. The most common illness that can cause yellow eyes is jaundice, according to WebMD.

“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 because I’m on television, man. I’m battling something. I need all the prayer warriors,” he had said on the December 1 episode. His co-hosts then showed solidarity by putting on eye glasses, saying “one for all and all for one.” But he had also said something on the show that is raising the health concerns even more.

Moss, 47, pointedly told “all you men” to “get your blood work done and we’ll work through it.” The point is, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has suggested that adults 45 and older should be screened for colon cancer and that men over 55 discuss whether they should be checked for prostate cancer. Heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol are also health challenges that could be subject to regular screening. Understandably, in the absence of any confirmation, it is open to interpretation. Meanwhile, apart from the FOX team and Brady, good wishes flowed in from another former teammate of Moss.