Randy Moss shared an unconventional account of how he ended up joining forces with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, stemming indirectly from a Monday night game. During Week 8 of the 2006 season, the Patriots’ appearance on Monday Night Football against Moss’s former team held more significance than just a win for New England.
Moss revealed this unique tale on Kevin Hart’s show “Cold as Balls.” At the time, Moss was at a career crossroads, struggling to meet expectations with the Oakland Raiders after a stellar start with the Vikings. Following a challenging season with the Raiders, Moss returned to Minnesota, where he still owned a house from his time with the Vikings. Coincidentally, the Patriots, led by Tom Brady, were in town to close out Week 8.
With the help of an unnamed former teammate, Moss managed to arrange a meeting with Brady by sneaking into the Patriots’ hotel. This impromptu encounter would rewrite NFL record books in terms of receiving accomplishments.
“I tell my old teammate, hey, can you do me a favor? I said man, could you go knock on Tom’s door?” Moss recounted. “Give me five minutes. So Tom comes in, and I say, look, I’m gonna cut to the chase, I know you got a big game tonight, look, I want to play with you, walked out the door. First time in his career, he throws five touchdowns that night.”
Although Moss exaggerated (Brady threw “only” four touchdowns), it laid the groundwork for one of the most prolific offensive connections in NFL history. This meeting led to Moss’s remarkable 2007 season, setting records with 23 touchdowns and 1,493 receiving yards, contributing to the Patriots’ perfect regular season. Despite Brady’s subsequent injury in 2008, Moss continued to excel, aiding in Brady’s first five-touchdown game upon his return.
At that time, Brady was in his prime, and the Patriots, though successful, lacked standout receivers. Moss, alongside newcomer Wes Welker, propelled the team into an offensive powerhouse. However, their remarkable season culminated in a Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants in XLII.
Moss didn’t reveal the identity of the teammate who facilitated the meeting, leaving speculation that it could have been Doug Gabriel, Moss’s former Raiders teammate.
