Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss has announced that he is a “cancer survivor.”
In a Friday afternoon Instagram Live session, Moss disclosed that he had a six-hour surgery six days ago for bile duct cancer. He said he had a Whipple procedure, and that the cancer was just outside the bile duct, between the pancreas and the liver.
Moss, who moved slowly but was in very good spirits, said he’ll now have chemotherapy and radiation.
The recent surgery followed a 2.5-hour procedure on Thanksgiving to put a stent in his liver.
Moss urged everyone to undergo regular screening. “By the grace of God, my liver started acting up,” Moss said. He had discolored urine, and the diagnostic procedures eventually disclosed the cancer.
Moss has gear available at his personal website, with proceeds going to cancer research.
He’s currently on an extended leave of absence from ESPN. He fully intends to return.
“My goal is to get back on that television with my team,” Moss said.
Our goal is to see that happen. Best wishes to one of the all-time greats, who is now using his platform to inspire others to get themselves properly evaluated for any an all illnesses that, if caught early, can be cured.
Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore (hamstring) remained out of practice Thursday, putting his availability for Monday night’s game against the Bears in doubt.
Gilmore was inactive in Sunday’s win over the Falcons after not practicing last week.
Fabian Moreau is expected to start opposite Shaquill Griffin if Gilmore doesn’t play.
Running back Aaron Jones (back) returned to a full practice Friday after limited work Thursday as did outside linebacker Patrick Jones (knee) and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (hip).
Patrick Jones did not play Sunday.
Tight end Josh Oliver (wrist, ankle) is the only player on the practice report, and he again is a full participant.
The NFL Players Association announced on Friday that they have named Vikings safety Camryn Bynum their Community MVP for Week 15.
Bynum is being honored after hosting a pair of events this month. His second annual “Holiday MOVIEEE Spree” event provided a $100 gift card, t-shirts, dinner and other prizes for 25 kids from around the Twin Cities area and his foundation’s annual Filipino Fiesta saw more than 300 people enjoying traditional dances and cuisine as well as live music and a silent auction to benefit initiatives that include building boats for local fishermen in underserved villages throughout the Philippines.
“I am extremely grateful to receive the NFLPA Community MVP award,” Bynum said in a statement. “I love being able to serve my community and show God’s love to everyone in any way that I can. I look forward to doing even more for my community in Minnesota, California and in the Philippines!”
The NFLPA will donate $10,000 to Bynum’s foundation or the charity of his choice. He will also join the other weekly winners in being eligible for the Alan Page Community Award at the end of the season.
Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss is currently on an extended leave of absence from ESPN, due to an unspecified health condition. He announced Thursday that he will appear Friday afternoon on Instagram.
“Howdy Earthlings.......Tom fri 13th at 5pm est I’ll be going live on my ig for all my fans and prayer warriors!!!” Moss said on Twitter.
He has not yet disclosed his health condition. It was first noticed when viewers noticed a yellowing of his eyes on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown.
The announcement comes in the aftermath of a controversy on social media regarding his condition. We avoided the issue, out of respect for his privacy. It will be for him to comment on the situation. Despite being a public figure, he deserves that much.
He didn’t specify the purpose for his upcoming Instagram session. We’ll tune in and share whatever he says here.
The former Vikings, Patriots, Titans, and 49ers receiver is one of the greatest players in NFL history. We wish him the best in his battle, and we look forward to seeing him back on ESPN sooner than later.
Bears running back D’Andre Swift was one of five players listed as out of practice on the team’s first injury report of the week.
Swift was listed as questionable with a quad injury heading into last Sunday’s loss to the 49ers, but he’s on the report for a different reason on Thursday. Swift, who played against the Niners, is listed with a groin injury.
Offensive lineman Ryan Bates (concussion), defensive back Josh Blackwell (shoulder), defensive lineman Gervon Dexter (knee), and running back Roschon Johnson (concussion) were also listed as non-participants in practice.
Defensive back Elijah Hicks (ankle) was a limited participant and running back Travis Homer (head) was a full participant.
The Vikings played without cornerback Stephon Gilmore in last Sunday’s win over the Falcons and his status didn’t change on the team’s first injury report of this week.
Gilmore was listed as a non-participant in practice because of a hamstring injury. The Vikings only held a walkthrough practice on Thursday, so the listing is an estimation of what Gilmore would have done in a normal workout.
Running back Aaron Jones (back), linebacker Pat Jones (knee), and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (hip) were listed as limited participants. Pat Jones did not play last Sunday, but the other two players were on the field.
Tight end Josh Oliver (wrist, ankle) is the only player listed as a full participant in practice.
Two NFL teams have already clinched their divisions, and two more teams could clinch their divisions this week. But the Lions, despite having the NFL’s best record, aren’t close to clinching the NFC North.
The Vikings are only one game behind the Lions in the division and the Packers are three games back, and Lions quarterback Jared Goff knows the division race is far from settled.
“We have to keep winning,” Goff said. “We’d love to say at 12-1 our division’s wrapped up, but it’s not even close. We’ve got two teams on our heels that are pushing us pretty hard. We’ve got to keep winning. I’m sure they’re just waiting for us to lose.”
The Lions have a head-to-head sweep over the Packers, and have already beaten the Vikings in Minnesota, and they’re -1100 favorites to win the NFC North. So they’re certainly in very good shape to win the division, and could clinch the NFC North before their Week 18 rematch with the Vikings. But they haven’t put the rest of the division in the rear-view mirror the way a 12-1 team usually would have.
The Vikings have stumbled into their best quarterback since Brett Favre in 2009. But with their highest-drafted quarterback ever waiting in the wings, the Vikings can’t commit starter money to Sam Darnold.
So where will Darnold be in 2025?
Simms and I talked about the options on Wednesday’s PFT Live. Look at the teams. Not many will be definitely looking for a starter after the season ends.
The current list consists of the Jets, the Steelers (possibly), the Titans (possibly), the Raiders, the Giants, the Saints (possibly), the Seahawks (possibly), and the Rams (possibly).
Of those teams, who’s going to make a beeline for Darnold? How much are they going to offer?
Despite his mostly stellar performance to date in 2024, some might attribute that to the influence of Kevin O’Connell. Some might think it can’t be duplicated elsewhere. Some might not be willing to pay him a contract approaching market value.
If Darnold’s best play is to become a bridge starter/fringe backup, maybe the road will bring him back to Minnesota. J.J. McCarthy is unproven, and he needs to prove not only that he can play but also that he can stay healthy. Darnold could end up being a valuable insurance policy, for a second straight year.
It’s a tough spot for the Vikings. They can’t throw in the towel on McCarthy. They shouldn’t go forward without a proven veteran behind McCarthy. There might be a way to have it both ways, proceeding into 2025 with Darnold and McCarthy and seeing what happens.
It won’t be easy. it won’t be as cheap as it was in 2024. And it will require releasing Darnold into free agency and hoping that his options or lack thereof make him interested in remaining in purple. Even if he ends up being not the starter.
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold’s career revival continued in last Sunday’s win over the Falcons.
In a game that featured Kirk Cousins’s return to Minnesota, Darnold showed that the Vikings’ quarterback position is in good hands. Darnold was 22-of-28 for 347 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-21 win that lifted the Vikings to 11-2 on the season.
The NFL announced on Wednesday that Darnold has been named the NFC’s offensive player of the week. It’s the first time that Darnold has won the NFC version of the award, but he was named the AFC offensive player of the week while with the Jets in 2019.
Darnold’s success this season has sparked discussions about whether the Vikings will re-sign him or if he’ll move on to his fifth NFL team. For now, though, his focus will remain on helping the Vikings to a deep playoff run.
Sam Darnold signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal to be a backup with the 49ers before the 2023 season. He signed a one-year, $10 million deal to be a bridge quarterback with the Vikings this offseason.
After proving he is a starting NFL quarterback, Darnold’s price tag has gone way up.
Darnold’s future beyond this season is unclear with first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy spending his rookie season on injured reserve as the heir apparent for the Vikings, and Darnold having solidified himself as a top free agent for 2025.
“I would hope he would kind of say, ‘Hey, the body of work that I’ve put in so far is going to take care of the future. Really, all I need to worry about is right now,’” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said Tuesday, via video from the team. “I think we all know that Sam is going to be a sought-after type of guy from wherever that may be. Whatever his future ends up being, I know all of us in this building are going to be happy for him, no matter where that ends up being. I don’t think he has to worry about that anymore.
“The worry might’ve been, ‘OK, this might be my opportunity to play.’ He’s past all that. He’s proven the doubters, and he’s proven that he can play in this league. Let’s just make this the best possible season we can have.”
Darnold, 27, has changed the narrative on a career that has taken him from the third overall pick of the Jets to Carolina to San Francisco to Minnesota with an MVP-type resume. He has throw for 3,299 yards with 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
And Darnold’s story from this season remains unwritten.
“Sam has really taken heed to all the cliches: Be where your feet are planted; be in the moment; let’s go 1-0 this week; let’s worry about this game plan,” Phillips said. “Whether there’s been praise — which there has been a lot for him this year — he hasn’t let that affect him, and when games don’t go necessarily we want to or he wants to, he hasn’t let that affect him either. He’s been consistent in his demeanor, in his approach, in his work ethic, and that’s where we want to be. The most important game is the next one, and for this week, it’s Chicago.”
Darnold isn’t only playing for this season, though. He’s also playing for a big pay day next season.
His expected contract will continue to grow with the wins and touchdown passes, and depending on how the Vikings do in the postseason, Darnold may leave his current team with no choice but to pay him.
