The Story And Significance Of Randy Moss - Recorded The Second Most Receiving Touchdowns In NFL History

Randy Gene Moss is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and San Francisco 49ers. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time and one of the greatest players in NFL history, he holds the NFL single-season touchdown reception record (23 in 2007), as well as the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie (17 in 1998).

All-time, Moss ranks second in career touchdown receptions (leading the league five times in touchdown receptions, third most all-time) as well as fourth in career receiving yards. In addition to possessing extraordinary speed at his size (4.25 40-yard dash at 6 ft 4 in) and superior leaping ability (43-inch vertical), he was famously known for securing spectacular contested catches in tight coverage by physically overpowering defenders. The term "mossed", referring to this ability, has since become a common term in the football lexicon.

Moss played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd and earned Unanimous All-American honors in 1997. A six-time Pro Bowl and four-time first-team All-Pro selection, Moss was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL draft, where he set the single-season record for touchdown receptions in a rookie season and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. In his first stint with the Vikings, Moss caught 90 touchdown receptions in his first seven seasons, as well as having more than 1,200 yards in each of his first six seasons. He was traded in 2005 to the Oakland Raiders, where he experienced a slump in play, notably due to the lack of talent surrounding him and perceived decline.

In 2007, Moss was then traded to the New England Patriots, where he experienced a career resurgence and set the single-season record for total touchdown receptions. That season, he helped lead the Patriots to a record-breaking 16–0 regular season record and an appearance in Super Bowl XLII, where they were upset by the New York Giants. During both the 1998 and 2007 seasons, Moss was the catalyst of the two highest scoring offenses of all time at the time they occurred (556 points in 1998, 589 points in 2007), now ranking sixth and second all-time. In October 2010, Moss returned to the Vikings in a trade from the Patriots but was waived less than a month later and then claimed by the Tennessee Titans. After sitting out the 2011 season, Moss signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012, who would then appear in Super Bowl XLVII. Following the 2012 season, Moss retired.

Moss was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, and is a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Following his playing career, he began working for ESPN as a studio analyst for its Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown programs. In 2022, Moss left Monday Night Countdown.

Moss skipped his junior and senior seasons at Marshall and entered the NFL Draft. He did not attend the NFL Combine, opting instead for an individual workout at Marshall's pro day. After the pro day was complete, Marshall head coach Bob Pruett informed the media that Moss had run two 40 yard sprints which timed at 4.24 and 4.28 by scouts' hand timers. Moss also posted a vertical leap of 47 inches. Numerous teams had scouts on hand with many noting the work-out was jaw dropping, with one Cowboys scout naming Moss the "most gifted prospect in football history".

During the 1998 NFL draft, Moss, who was projected as a high first-round pick, was taken by the Minnesota Vikings with the 21st overall pick after a number of NFL clubs—even those in need of a WR—were concerned with Moss's well-documented legal problems. Before the draft Moss was quoted as saying teams that passed on him "will regret it once they see what kind of a player I am and what kind of guy I really am." The team most often cited for passing on Moss is the Dallas Cowboys. Moss grew up a Cowboys fan and wanted to play for the Cowboys. The Cowboys wanted Moss, but because of many off-field incidents of their own, team owner and GM Jerry Jones did not feel the team could draft Moss. Moss felt that the Cowboys lied to him because they had told him they would draft him. On draft day, Dallas went so far as to have a scout in Charleston, West Virginia, the same town where Moss and his mother were watching the draft. Dallas star receiver Michael Irvin even called to apologize to Moss, because Irvin's own off-field problems were a main reason Moss was not drafted by Dallas. After the draft, Moss made a point of beating the Cowboys any time he faced them.

After the draft, Moss signed a 4-year, $4.5 million contract that included an additional $4 million in bonuses and incentives. As part of the deal, he received a $2 million signing bonus. Moss originally wore #18 in training camp (a number he would eventually wear for Oakland) but switched to the more conventional #84 before the regular season began.

In 1998, Moss helped the Vikings to become the number 1 rated offense ever at the time, setting the single-season record for scoring (later surpassed by the 2007 New England Patriots, a team that also featured Moss) with 556 points.

The Vikings opened the season with a 31–7 rout against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Moss's first NFL game would also be his first multi-touchdown game as he recorded four receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns. His first NFL reception came on the third play of the game on an 11-yard pass from Brad Johnson. His first touchdown was a 48-yard reception. He added a 31-yard touchdown reception on the Vikings' first possession of the second quarter to give the Vikings a 21–0 lead.

His first Monday Night Football game came in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. He had five receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns, including touchdown receptions of 52 yards and 44 yards, and two other receptions of 46 yards and 41 yards. He also had a 75-yard touchdown catch on the Vikings' first possession of the game that was nullified due to an offensive holding penalty.

In Week 12, against the Packers in a second divisional matchup, Moss had eight receptions for 153 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 28–14 victory. He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against Green Bay. In Week 13, against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, Moss finished with three catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns all for 50+ yards as the Vikings beat the Cowboys 46–36. Moss was the first rookie to score three touchdowns on Thanksgiving. He also caught a pass for a 2-point conversion and picked up an additional 50 yards on a defensive pass-interference penalty on Dallas. For that Thanksgiving game, Moss earned another NFC Offensive Player of the Week nomination. His last catch in the previous week's game, and his first catch in the following week were also touchdowns, giving him five touchdown receptions on five consecutive catches. (Although the NFL does not keep records for consecutive catches resulting in touchdowns.) In the following week after the Thanksgiving game, this time against the Chicago Bears, Moss had another three-touchdown performance in the 48–22 victory.

The Vikings finished with a 15–1 record and were in position to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XXXIII. Moss had four receptions for 71 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 41–21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the Divisional Round. However, the Atlanta Falcons stunned the Vikings by winning the 1998 NFC Championship Game 30–27 in overtime. Moss had six receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

At the end of the 1998 regular season, Moss was named to the Pro Bowl, earned first team All-Pro honors, and won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for his rookie-record and league-leading 17 touchdown receptions and the third-highest receiving yardage (1,313) total. As a rookie, he finished third in voting for MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team for 1998.

In Week 4, Moss had four receptions for 120 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 21–14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game against Tampa Bay started a three-game streak of going for at least 120 receiving yards for Moss, with 122 against the Chicago Bears the following week and 125 in the game after that against the Detroit Lions. In Week 10, against the Chicago Bears, Moss had 12 receptions for a career-high 204 receiving yards in the 27–24 victory. Moss earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game verses the Bears. In the following game, he had seven receptions for 127 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the 35–27 victory over the San Diego Chargers. In Week 15, against the Green Bay Packers, he had five receptions for 131 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 24–20 victory. In Week 16, against the New York Giants, he threw a touchdown pass to Cris Carter in the 34–17 victory. In the regular season finale against the Detroit Lions, he had five receptions for 155 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the 24–17 victory.

Overall, Moss had another impressive season, catching 80 passes for 1,413 yards and 11 touchdowns, including a punt return for a touchdown. He went on to record five receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings 27–10 NFC Wild Card Round playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys. Minnesota lost in the Divisional Round to the St. Louis Rams 49–37, despite Moss catching nine passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Moss was fined $40,000, which was later reduced to $25,000, during that game due to squirting an NFL referee with a water bottle. There was a stipulation that he would have to pay the difference in addition to any other fine if he had another run-in with the league.

Moss earned his second straight Pro Bowl appearance, and turned in a record-breaking performance. He had nine receptions for a Pro Bowl record 212 yards and was given the game's Most Valuable Player award.

The 2000 season featured second-year quarterback Daunte Culpepper leading the team. Culpepper had been the team's first-round draft pick in 1999; with a pick they received from the Redskins for quarterback Brad Johnson. He had been selected largely due to his extremely strong arm, which the team believed was perfectly suited for Moss's deep routes. The decision proved correct. Culpepper was a rookie sensation, the Vikings started 7–0, and Moss was a leading MVP candidate. In that stretch was a Week 4 game against the Detroit Lions, where Moss had seven receptions for 168 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the 31–24 victory. For the second time in three seasons, Moss punished the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day, including a spectacular second half touchdown in which Moss caught the ball with his entire body out of bounds, aside from his toes. The play would be the feature shot in NFL commercials for years to come. In Week 16 against the Green Bay Packers, Moss had four receptions for 136 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 33–28 loss. Moss finished the season with a career-high 1,437 yards and league-leading 15 touchdown receptions. In doing so, he became the youngest and fastest player to ever catch over 3,000 yards and 45 touchdowns, earning him a third consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl, and second selection to the All Pro team. In the Divisional Round against the New Orleans Saints, Moss had two receptions for 121 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 34–16 victory. In the NFC Championship, the Vikings were defeated 41–0 by the New York Giants. Moss was held to two receptions for 18 yards in the game

In the offseason, Moss and his agent Danté DiTrapano began negotiating a new contract with the Minnesota Vikings. He was scheduled to earn $3.5 million in 2001. However, Moss, who was entering the final year of the rookie contract he signed in 1998, was seeking a long-term deal that would make him the highest-paid player in the NFL. His agent said, "We want to break the tradition of quarterbacks being the highest-paid players." One option the Vikings had would be to apply the franchise tag after the season ended, but sources stated that Moss would request a trade if that happened because it would still be less than what he could command on the open market.

Just prior to the start of training camp in July, Vikings owner Red McCombs signed Moss to an 8-year, $75 million contract extension. The extension included a $10 million signing bonus and another $8 million in guarantees.

In Week 10, against the New York Giants, Moss had ten receptions for 171 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the 28–16 victory. He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week. In Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had eight receptions for 144 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 21–16 loss. In the following game against the Tennessee Titans, he had seven receptions for 158 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 42–24 victory. In the next game, against the Detroit Lions, he had seven receptions for 144 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 27–24 loss. Despite finishing the season with 10 touchdowns and posting at least 1,000 receiving yards (1,233) for the fourth consecutive season, Moss failed to make the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. The Vikings finished with a 5–11 record and missed the playoffs.

After replacing Dennis Green on an interim basis to end the 2001 season, Mike Tice was officially named head coach on January 10, 2002. One of the strategies the Vikings' first-year head coach came up with was a formula to get Moss the ball more often. Coach Tice called it the Randy Ratio. It was an effort on the coaches part to throw 40% of the passes to Moss as a way to keep him involved in the offense more than he had been in the 2001 season when he had stretches in games where he was being shut out, and partly to use more game clock by sustaining long drives to give the Vikings defense a chance to rest. An assistant coach would stand on the sidelines during games and track how many times Moss had been thrown to, and then inform Tice of the percentages so that he is always aware of it. In the 2001 season, the Vikings record was 4–1 when Moss had 40% of the passes thrown his direction, and 1–10 in other games.

The strategy was a response to the 'Randy Rules,' as Vikings receiver Chris Walsh called them. The Randy Rules, similar to the Jordan Rules, were a defensive strategy that teams employed when facing the Vikings to try and eliminate or reduce Randy's impact on the game, and to prevent Moss from being matched up one-on-one with defenders because of his ability to burn them deep or outjump them in single coverage. Opposing teams would routinely double cover Moss with techniques such as having a cornerback attempt to jam him at the line of scrimmage, having a corner defend underneath with a safety defending against the deep ball, having a zone defense roll to Moss's side of the field, and assigning "spies" to follow Moss everywhere he went.

Coach Tice discussed the strategy, explaining that Moss would be running more short and intermediate routes and fewer deep patterns. In training camp, Moss worked specifically on 12 new routes that he had rarely run in his first four NFL seasons, such as crossing patterns over the middle of the field and hook routes. Coach Tice said, "When we say Randy Ratio, everybody in the league thinks, 'OK, now they're going to throw the ball down the field to Randy more and more and more.' That's so far from the truth. In fact, we'll probably throw the ball down the field to Randy this year even less."

The Randy Ratio did not last very long, as Tice scrapped the idea midway through the 2002 season. Randy Moss said "I didn't really care much about the Randy Ratio when it was brought up. I just wanted to win." In Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints, he had 11 receptions for 113 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 32–31 victory. In Week 16, Moss threw a touchdown pass to D'Wayne Bates in the 20–17 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Moss had seven games with least 100 receiving yards on the year. While Moss caught a career-high 106 passes, he also had a career-low seven touchdown receptions, and the Vikings struggled to a 6–10 record. Moss was named to his fourth Pro Bowl. Tice suggested after the season that it was a mistake to inform opponents about his offensive gameplan, but that it was a tool "to motivate [Moss] and say he was the guy."

Moss's fortunes took a better turn on the football field during the 2003 regular season, where he became the second wide receiver in NFL history (behind Jerry Rice in 1995) to play more than 12 games (he played 16) while averaging over 100 yards and one touchdown per contest. In Week 1, against the Green Bay Packers, he had nine receptions for 150 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 30–25 victory. In Week 4, against the San Francisco 49ers, he had eight receptions for 172 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in the 35–7 victory. In Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, he had ten receptions for 151 yards in the 28–20 victory. In the following game against the New York Giants, he had seven receptions for 125 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 29–17 loss. In Week 13, against the St. Louis Rams, he had ten receptions for 160 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 48–17 loss. In the following game against the Seattle Seahawks, he had eight receptions for 133 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 34–7 victory. In Week 16 against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had seven receptions for 111 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 45–20 victory. Overall, he finished with 111 receptions for 1,632 yards and 17 touchdowns. All three numbers either tied or became a new personal best for Moss. The Vikings finished the season 9–7 but missed the playoffs. One of Moss's memorable highlights that year was when he lateraled to Moe Williams for a last-second touchdown during a home game against Denver. Moss was named to his fifth Pro Bowl.

In the offseason, he attended the Vikings strength and conditioning program and added five pounds of muscle to his frame.

Moss started the season strong catching eight touchdowns in his first five games of the season, a 4–1 stretch for the Vikings. However, he sustained a hamstring injury to his right leg against the New Orleans Saints in Week 6 that hampered him for the next five weeks. He played in Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans, but had no receptions in a game for the first time in his career. He also played the following week against the New York Giants, but again recorded no receptions and was used mainly as a decoy. The injury eventually sidelined him for three straight weeks. He returned to the lineup in Week 12 with a touchdown catch against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He closed out the regular season with consecutive games going over the 100-yard mark with a touchdown in Weeks 14 and 15 against the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.

Even though he finished the season with 13 touchdowns in 13 games, he posted career lows in receptions (49) and receiving yards (767). 2004 was the first season in his career that he failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark.

On January 9, 2005, the Minnesota Vikings played division rival Green Bay Packers in an NFC Wild Card Round game. Moss finished the game with four catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the 31–17 win. After the second score, Moss trotted to the end zone goalpost and feigned pulling down his pants to moon the Green Bay fans. NFL on Fox announcer Joe Buck called it a "disgusting act." Moss was fined $10,000 for his actions. Though the Vikings would win the game, they would lose in the next round of the playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles, and Moss was traded at the end of the season.

On March 2, 2005, Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders for linebacker Napoleon Harris and the Raiders' first (7th overall, which Minnesota parlayed into wide receiver Troy Williamson) and seventh-round picks in the 2005 NFL Draft. Adding a player of Moss's caliber generated optimism in Oakland. With fellow starter Jerry Porter wearing number 84, Moss changed his jersey number to 18, which had been his jersey number at Marshall and was initially not allowed for wide receivers when he entered the NFL in 1998, but had been made permissible in 2004 when a rule change allowed receivers to wear number 10–19 in addition to 80s numbers.

In his Raiders debut, Moss had five receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown in the 30–20 loss to the New England Patriots. In the following game, he had five receptions for 127 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 23–17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders' poor play was a theme throughout the season, while Moss suffered nagging injuries which limited his production. He surpassed the 1,000 mark on the final day of the 2005 season with seven receptions for 116 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns against the New York Giants. He finished the year with 1,005 receiving yards on 60 catches as the Raiders went 4–12.

In Week 7 of the 2006 season, Moss had seven receptions for 129 yards and one touchdown in the 22–9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Moss recorded 553 yards and three touchdowns on 42 receptions in 2006.

Moss was not happy in Oakland, and on November 14, 2006, when he was honored as a kick returner by having a college football award named after him, he responded to questions about his dropped passes and lackluster effort in several games. Moss said, "Maybe because I'm unhappy and I'm not too much excited about what's going on, so, my concentration and focus level tend to go down sometimes when I'm in a bad mood". Days later, he reiterated his unhappiness with losing games and being a member of the Raiders on his weekly segment with Fox Sports Radio, saying, "I might want to look forward to moving somewhere else next year to have another start and really feel good about going out here and playing football".

There were rumors leading up to the 2007 NFL draft that the Raiders were eager to part ways with Moss through a trade. First-year Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin went so far as to contact their division rival Denver Broncos to "gauge interest", but the Patriots and Green Bay Packers were the two teams most interested in acquiring Moss. Packers quarterback Brett Favre, who once said, "There is no one in this league who puts fear in people more than Randy Moss," tried to persuade team management to trade for him, but a deal that both sides could agree to did not get done.

During the first day of the NFL Draft, the Patriots and Raiders discussed the trade several times before reaching an agreement. Bill Belichick spoke with Moss for the first time about the possibility of joining the Patriots at 2:30 Sunday morning. Moss boarded a plane and arrived in Boston later that morning on April 29 and was required to pass a team administered physical. Once he was cleared by Patriots officials, the teams completed a trade that sent Randy Moss to New England for a fourth-round selection in the 2007 NFL draft. The Patriots had acquired the draft pick the previous day from the San Francisco 49ers, and the Raiders selected John Bowie.

One of the conditions of the trade was that Randy Moss would have to restructure his contract for salary cap reasons. Just hours before the Moss trade was completed, New England quarterback Tom Brady converted $5.28 million of his 2007 base salary into a signing bonus that was spread out over the remaining portion of his contract so that it could free up cap room. This enabled the Patriots to absorb Moss's incoming contract under the salary cap. Moss had two years remaining on his current deal and was scheduled to earn $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008. Once the Patriots had Moss on their roster, he quickly agreed to a new one-year contract to replace his old one. The new deal gave him a $500,000 signing bonus, a base salary of $2.5 million, and the ability to earn an additional $1.75 million in incentives.

"I'm still in awe that I'm a part of this organization," Moss said, clearly thrilled to join a team that could contend for the Super Bowl and to work with Coach Belichick. "I think that he's the kind of coach that can motivate me. He has a proven track record."

In the first week of training camp, during an 11-on-11 passing drill, Moss suffered a hamstring injury to his left leg. As a precaution, the injury prevented Moss from participating in any preseason games and he missed much of the rest of camp.

His first action in a Patriots uniform came against the New York Jets in Week 1. He quickly quieted critics who claimed that his skills had deteriorated by hauling in nine receptions for 181 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown reception in which he ran past three Jets defenders. He followed up the Jets game with three consecutive games, wins over the San Diego Chargers, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals, going over the 100-yard mark with two receiving touchdowns in each. In Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins, he had four receptions for 122 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 49–28 victory. In Week 9, against the Indianapolis Colts, he had nine receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown in the 24–20 victory. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Colts.

On November 4, 2007, James Black, NFL Editor for Yahoo! Sports wrote, "Every week, in addition to out-leaping at least one defender for a touchdown, [Moss] keeps making incredible one-handed grabs that make you mutter, 'How the heck did he come up with that?'" Two weeks later, he caught a career-high four touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills, all in the first half. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Bills. In Week 14, he had seven receptions for 135 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 34–13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On December 29, the Patriots defeated the New York Giants 38–35, finishing their regular season with a perfect 16–0 record. Moss caught two touchdown passes for a total of 23, breaking the single-season record of 22 touchdown receptions previously set by Jerry Rice (in 12 games in the strike-shortened 1987 season). On the same play, Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning's single-season record set in 2004 with his 50th touchdown pass. Moss recorded 98 catches for 1,493 yards in 2007, the highest yardage total in Patriots franchise history and the third-highest total number of catches, after teammate Wes Welker's 112 catches that same season and Troy Brown's 101 in 2001. He earned his sixth Pro Bowl selection and fourth first team All-Pro nomination. His 2007 season featured touchdowns in 13 of 16 games (including eight multi-touchdown games), nine 100-yard games, and six touchdown receptions of 40 or more yards. For the second time in his NFL career, Moss was part of a team that broke the NFL single-season scoring record.

Despite his record-breaking 2007 season, Moss was relatively quiet in the playoffs, going two consecutive games without a touchdown for the first time all season. The Patriots defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round and the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship. However, in Super Bowl XLII, against the New York Giants, he scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:42 left in the fourth quarter on a six-yard pass from Tom Brady. The score was not enough for the heavily favored Patriots to end their only undefeated season with a Super Bowl win. Eli Manning drove the Giants down the field, connecting with Plaxico Burress for the game-winning touchdown and an upset over the Patriots. Two deep throws from Brady to Moss on 3rd & 20 and 4th & 20 on the Patriots finalOn February 28, 2008, Moss became a free agent after the Patriots decided not to place the franchise tag on Moss. Although the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Green Bay Packers were rumored to have interest in Moss, he decided to return to the Patriots, signing a three-year, $27 million deal on March 3, 2008. The contract included a $12 million signing bonus, and a total of $14.1 million guaranteed.

The first game of the 2008 season saw Brady suffer a torn ACL in his left knee while attempting a pass to Moss. The play occurred in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs when safety Bernard Pollard dove at Brady's leg while in his throwing motion. Moss described what he saw on the play by saying "any time you see something like that, that looks foul, it looks dirty, it opens your eyes. So, me personally, it looked dirty." Matt Cassel replaced Brady for the rest of the season. In Week 12 against the Miami Dolphins, he had eight receptions for 125 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in the 48–28 victory.

In 2008, Moss hauled in 69 catches for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns despite losing quarterback Tom Brady in the first game of the season.

In the season opener of 2009, Moss caught a career-high 12 passes for 141 yards in a comeback 25–24 victory over the Buffalo Bills. In Week 5 against the Denver Broncos, Moss was placed deep in coverage on a Broncos Hail Mary attempt to end the first half, and intercepted Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton. In a snowy Week 6 game against the winless Tennessee Titans, Moss caught three touchdown passes from Tom Brady, two of them in the second quarter of the 59–0 victory as Brady set a record for most touchdown passes in a single quarter with five.

During the Patriots' bye week, Belichick stated that Moss "is the smartest receiver he's ever been around." He compared Moss's ability to see the field and anticipate plays to that of Tom Brady, and to Lawrence Taylor, who Belichick coached with the New York Giants. He said Moss not only knows what he's doing on a play, but what everybody else on the field is doing as well. "That's what makes them special. They just have a sixth, seventh sense", Belichick said. This sentiment was repeated when Moss was inducted into the Hall of Fame, as Belichick went further to say he learned from Moss.

In Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins, Moss recorded six catches for 147 yards and one touchdown in the 27–17 victory. The touchdown reception was the 140th of his career, which moved him into a tie for second place with Terrell Owens.

The following week, in a prime time Sunday night matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, Moss had 179 yards and two touchdowns, including a 63-yard touchdown in the second quarter that moved him ahead of Terrell Owens for sole possession of second place in career touchdown receptions. In the 35–34 loss, he became just the 11th player in NFL history with 900+ receptions and the seventh player to reach 14,000+ career receiving yards.

In Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Moss had three receiving touchdowns in the 35–7 victory.

He finished the season with 83 receptions for 1,264 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns. His 13 receiving touchdowns tied for the league lead. New England lost in the AFC Wild Card Round to the Baltimore Ravens 33–14. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2000s first team.

In the week leading up to the Patriots' 2010 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Moss, who was entering the final year of his contract told CBS Sports that he "did not feel wanted" in New England absent a contract extension offer. Moss went on to catch five passes for 59 yards in Week 1. After the game, Moss told reporters that it would be his final season with the Patriots. The Boston Herald reported weeks later that Moss requested a trade following the game.

Moss had two receptions in Week 2 against the New York Jets, including a 34-yard touchdown that he caught one-handed after All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis pulled a hamstring. The following week against the Buffalo Bills, Moss had two more catches, both for touchdowns. His final game in New England came in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins; he did not record a catch in the game for the first time in his Patriots career as a touchdown pass attempt off a fake spike bounced off his hands in the end zone.

Two days after the Patriots' game against Miami, Moss was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, in exchange for the Vikings' third-round selection (later used to select quarterback Ryan Mallett) in the 2011 NFL draft. The Patriots also sent a 2012 seventh-round selection to the Vikings as part of the trade.

Despite the arrival of Moss, the Vikings continued to struggle, due to starting quarterback Brett Favre's age and injuries. Moss only managed 13 catches and two touchdowns in four games with the Vikings. Vikings' head coach Brad Childress hoped that Moss, as a veteran, would be mature but instead "[Moss] walked in the locker room and vomited on it". On November 1, less than four weeks after being traded to Minnesota, Moss criticized Childress and teammates in a press conference following the Vikings' loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Just before the press conference, Moss reportedly told team owner Zygi Wilf that Childress was unfit to coach in the NFL and should be fired. The next day in a team meeting, Childress told Vikings players that Moss was going to be waived. Wilf reportedly considered firing Childress and keeping Moss, since Childress did not inform Wilf of the move beforehand, but per contract Childress had the final say on personnel so Moss was officially waived the next day, November 2. The Vikings continued to struggle after Moss was waived, and Childress was eventually fired on November 22.

Moss was claimed off waivers by the Tennessee Titans, the only team to submit a claim, on November 3, 2010. Moss played eight games with the Titans, starting four. He made six catches for 80 yards and no touchdowns.

Moss finished the 2010 season with career lows in receptions (28) and receiving yards (393). The Titans stated that they did not plan to re-sign Moss for the 2011 season, and he became a free agent.

On August 1, 2011, Moss's agent, Joel Segal, announced Moss's decision to retire from professional football.

On February 13, 2012, his 35th birthday, Moss announced that he was coming out of retirement and was ready to play again. drive fell incomplete.

On March 12, 2012, Moss signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers for undisclosed financial terms after a workout with the team's head coach Jim Harbaugh. On September 9, 2012, Moss caught his 154th touchdown reception, and subsequently passed Terrell Owens for sole possession of second on the all-time receiving touchdown list. After Alex Smith suffered a concussion against the St. Louis Rams in week 10, Colin Kaepernick took over as the team's quarterback, and Moss had at least two receptions in each of the remaining five games of the regular season. He finished the season with 28 catches for 434 yards and three touchdowns. Since the retirement of Terrell Owens at the end of 2010, he had been the NFL's active leader in receiving yards. Moss eventually went on to play in Super Bowl XLVII, where he had two receptions for 41 yards in a 34–31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Moss has participated in, founded, and financed many charitable endeavors since joining the NFL, particularly aimed at helping children. Many times when talking about his charity work, he has said he just looks forward to "seeing smiles." He has donated clothing and food to needy families, given away free backpacks to Boston area school-children, and hosted autograph signings. He has also bussed children to amusement parks, NBA games, and even NFL games in which he has played.

On June 29, 2005, he hosted the Randy Moss Celebrity Charity Invitational Bass Tournament. The tournament was a one-day event that paired celebrities and corporate sponsors with pro fishermen to raise money for the Smile Network, which is a foundation that provides financial assistance to children with treatable mouth problems, such as cleft palate. The tournaments motto is "fish for a smile."

In 2008, Moss formed the Links for Learning foundation, which was established to help children in his home state of West Virginia, and to build learning centers for the most needy student populations. In June, he and his former high school teammate Jason Williams hosted the foundations first annual charity golf tournament at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Hurricane, West Virginia. In 2018, it was announced Moss would be the new spokesman and advocate for American Youth Football.

On April 29, 2008, Moss announced the formation of Randy Moss Motorsports, an auto racing team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In July 2008, Moss announced that he had bought a 50 percent share in Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, with the team's No. 46 entry switching to No. 81. The team was reportedly shut down in 2012.

Upon his release from the 49ers, Moss was hired as an analyst for Fox Sports 1's Fox Football Daily show. Moss was hired as an associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Victory Christian Center High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, in June 2014, where his son was attending high school and playing football.

In July 2016, Moss joined ESPN as an analyst, appearing on Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2019, Moss was named to the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Moss's parents are Maxine Moss and Randy Pratt. Moss has little contact with his father. He has a sister named Lutisia and had a brother Eric, who had a short stint in the NFL as an offensive tackle with the Minnesota Vikings. Randy's high school girlfriend was Elizabeth "Libby" Offutt, with whom he shares five children: sons Thaddeus & Montigo, daughters Sydney, Senali & Sylee, his wife is Lydia Moss, with whom he has daughter Lordes-Randi; he also has daughters Lyric and Lexi from other relationships. Moss is a Christian.

In December 2024, Moss announced that he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown to address an "internal" and unspecified health issue. He directed his message to men and urged them to get checkups and bloodwork done, without specifying any particular illness. On December 10, sportswriter Larry Fitzgerald Sr. publicly announced that Moss was battling liver cancer. This was refuted by Randy's son Thaddeus. On December 13, Moss revealed that he had undergone a Whipple procedure to address bile duct cancer and that he was now "a cancer survivor". On Thanksgiving, he had a stent inserted into his liver after experiencing discolored urine.

On September 24, 2002, in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, Moss was driving and was preparing to make an illegal turn. A traffic control officer, noticing what he was about to do, stood in front of his vehicle and ordered him to stop. Eyewitness accounts of the event differ at this point, but Moss did not comply with the officer's order, his vehicle bumped her, and she fell to the ground. Moss was arrested, and a search of his vehicle revealed a joint amounting to less than a gram of marijuana in his ashtray. Initially charged with felony Suspicion of Assault with a Deadly Weapon and a misdemeanor marijuana possession, Moss spent the night in jail and was released the following morning. Moss pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor traffic violation and was ordered to pay a $1,200 fine and perform 40 hours of community service. While the criminal charges were thus disposed of, the civil lawsuit filed by the traffic control officer brought a substantial penalty fine "in the low to mid six figures". Moss claimed that the joint was not his, and that he had let friends use his car prior to the accident.

In April 1996, Moss smoked a joint just prior to turning himself in to jail. He was scheduled to finish the remainder of his 30-day sentence for misdemeanor battery while in high school. During his first week in jail, Moss was given a drug test that came back positive. He was placed in solitary confinement for a week and had 60 days attached to his 27-day sentence. Coach Bobby Bowden revoked his scholarship and Moss was dismissed from Florida State University for the failed drug test.

Moss tested positive in 2001 for marijuana under the NFL's substance abuse program and was subject to additional random drug screening for two years. A first time violation of the NFL's drug policy can result in up to 10 tests per month. Moss did not fail an NFL drug test again, and was rotated out of the program after two years.

In August 2005, during an interview with Bryant Gumbel, Moss admitted that he has smoked marijuana during his NFL career "every blue moon." When asked whether he still used marijuana currently, Moss replied "I might. I might have fun. And, you know, hopefully ... I won't get into any trouble by the NFL by saying that, you know. I have had fun throughout my years and, you know, predominantly in the offseason." The interview drew criticism from the league office, and his agent tried to spin it that his words were taken out of context. In response, Moss said "That was really me talking in the past tense of way back in the beginning of my career and my childhood – especially in high school and college."

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The Story And Significance Of Ray Lewis - Two Time Super Bowl Champion And Two Time Defensive Player Of The Year Including One Super Bowl MVP

Raymond Anthony Lewis Jr. is an American former professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League for 17 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning All-America honors. He is considered one of the greatest linebackers of all time.

Lewis was selected by the Ravens in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft, and upon his retirement following the 2012 season, was the last remaining active player from the team's inaugural season. Lewis immediately became a leader on defense and led the team in tackles as a rookie, the first of 14 times he led the Ravens in tackles.

In 2000, Lewis pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in connection with the stabbing deaths of two men; he testified as a key witness at the trial, and a jury determined the killings were acts of self-defense. The following season, he was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year and led the Ravens' record-setting defense, which established a 16-game single-season record for the fewest points allowed (165) and the fewest rushing yards allowed (970), to victory in Super Bowl XXXV. Lewis also became the second linebacker to win the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, and the first to win the award on the winning Super Bowl team. Lewis won his second Defensive Player of the Year award in 2003, becoming the sixth player to win the award multiple times. After a triceps tear that sidelined him for most of the 2012 regular season, Lewis returned for the Ravens' playoff run and earned his second Super Bowl victory in his final NFL game. On February 3, 2018, the fifth anniversary of his final game, Lewis was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

During his tenure with the Ravens, he accumulated 2,059 career combined tackles, including 1,568 solo tackles, both of which are NFL records. Due to his numerous accolades and prodigious football play, Lewis is widely considered to be the greatest middle linebacker in NFL history. He was a 13-time Pro Bowler, a 10-time All-Pro, and one of the few players in NFL history to play in a Pro Bowl in three decades (1990s, 2000s, and 2010s). He is also considered to be the greatest Baltimore Raven of all time, as well as one of the greatest defensive players of all time.

Lewis was the top-rated inside linebacker heading into the 1996 NFL Draft, in which Kevin Hardy was considered the draft's only outstanding linebacker prospect. Taken as the fifth linebacker in the draft, Lewis was seen by scouts as possessing speed, tackling ability, and intensity, as well as being praised for his ability to go into pass coverage. But many considered his lack of size a potential liability. In his first career game, a Week 1 19–14 victory over the Oakland Raiders, Lewis earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his seven-tackle performance, along with an unusual interception. Lewis earned USA Today's All-Rookie team honors after his 15 tackles for loss led the NFL and 110 tackles led the Ravens in the 1996 season. He finished his rookie season with two and a half sacks, six pass deflections, and an interception on the season as the Ravens finished with a 4–12 record.

In Week 9, against the Washington Redskins, Lewis earned his second AFC Defensive Player of the Week honor. Lewis recorded an NFL-best and career high 184 tackles in 1997, which also included 156 solo tackles, the most ever in single season, and earned his first Pro Bowl berth at the end of that season. In addition, Lewis totaled four sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and 11 pass deflections in the Ravens' 6–9–1 season.

In Week 12 of the 1998 season, Lewis recorded two interceptions and a sack against the Bengals in a 20–13 win. Lewis made his second trip to the Pro Bowl after recording 120 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and seven pass deflections. He led the 6–10 Ravens in tackles for the third consecutive season. He was also named to The Sporting News All-Pro Team. In what would prove to be Hall of Fame Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders's final game, Lewis and the rest of the Ravens defense held him to just 41 rushing yards on 19 attempts.

In 1999, during the first game of the regular season against the St. Louis Rams, Lewis had 14 solo tackles, four tackles for loss, an interception, and a sack in the 27–10 loss. In Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he finished with a team leading 13 combined tackles in the 23–20 loss. In Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, Lewis had ten combined tackles and a sack in the 17–10 win. In Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons, Lewis finished with 12 combined tackles in the 19–13 overtime win. During Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans, Lewis had 13 tackles and the only scored safety of his career in the 14–11 loss. In Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills, Lewis had 14 tackles and a sack in the 13–10 loss. Despite the Ravens having an 8–8 regular season record, Lewis led the NFL in tackles with 165. He was named to a third-straight Pro Bowl and the All-Pro first team. In addition, he totaled three and a half sacks, three interceptions, eight pass deflections, a safety, and a forced fumble. Lewis won the 1999 NFL Alumni Linebacker Of The Year chosen by past NFL players voting according to the position they played.

In 2000, Lewis led a defense which many call the greatest in NFL history for a single season. In Week 2 of the regular season against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Lewis led the team in tackles with 11 tackles in the 39–36 win. In Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins, Lewis had 11 tackles in the 19–6 loss. In Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he finished 13 tackles and a fumble recovery in the 15–10 win. In Week 13 against the Cleveland Browns, Lewis had five tackles and two sacks in the 44–7 blowout win. Lewis finished the regular season with a franchise leading 137 tackles, as well as two interceptions, six pass deflections, and three fumble recoveries. The team set a 16-game single-season record for fewest points allowed (165) and fewest rushing yards allowed (970). The team recorded four shutouts, one shy of the single-season record. The unit finished first league-wide in six key defensive categories. Including the postseason, and excluding three combined touchdowns that were given up by the Ravens offense and special teams, Baltimore's defense allowed only 184 points in 20 games. After the regular season, he earned a unanimous All-Pro selection, and was once again named to start in the Pro Bowl. In the Wild Card Round against the Denver Broncos, Lewis had seven tackles and an interception in the 21–3 win. In the Divisional Round against the Tennessee Titans, Lewis had 12 combined tackles and an interception returned 50 yards for the clinching touchdown in the 24–10 win. In the AFC Championship against the Oakland Raiders, he had seven combined tackles and a fumble recovery in the 16–3 win. Lewis was named NFL Defensive Player of The Year for the 2000 season. The Ravens became only the second team to ever record a defensive shutout in a Super Bowl, as they dominated the New York Giants 34–7 to win the franchise's first ever Super Bowl championship. Lewis's five combined tackles and four passes defended earned him Super Bowl XXXV MVP honors. He also added 31 tackles, two interceptions, 9 pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and a touchdown in the four-game playoff run.

In 2001, Lewis earned his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl selection, when he led the NFL in tackles with 162 and earned first-team All-Pro honors. In Week 12, he had a career-high 18 total tackles and one sack in the 39–27 victory over the Colts. In Week 15, he earned his third AFC Defensive Player of the Week honor in a 15–0 shutout of the Cincinnati Bengals. He had two interceptions and 11 total tackles in the win. The Ravens earned a playoff berth with a 10–6 record. In the Ravens' two playoff games, he totaled 17 tackles, three forced fumbles, and one pass deflection as the team's season ended in the divisional round.

In 2002, Lewis was limited to only five games due to a shoulder injury. He still managed to rank fifth on the team with 58 tackles. In addition, Lewis compiled two interceptions, two pass deflections, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Lewis earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos after posting and tying his career-high with 18 tackles (11 solo), two pass deflections, and an interception. After having been selected to the Pro Bowl for five consecutive seasons (1997–2001), Lewis's streak was stopped by his season-ending injury. In his absence, the Baltimore Ravens defense finished ranked 19th in points allowed the team as a whole finished with a 7–9 record.

Lewis was the leading vote recipient for the 2003 AP All-Pro team, earning 49 of 50 votes. He also won the annual AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year with 43 votes out of 50. He was named to his sixth career Pro Bowl for the 2003 season. Additionally, Lewis earned Pro Football Weekly, PFWA, and Football Digest Defensive MVP honors and was named to Dr. Z's Sports Illustrated All-Pro team, Pro Football Weekly's All-NFL team, Pro Football Weekly's All-AFC team, Football Digest's All-Pro first team, and The Sporting News' All-Pro team. Lewis also earned the KC 101 AFC Defensive Player of the Year award for the 3rd time in four years, the 2003 NFL Alumni Linebacker Of The Year, and finished with 161 tackles, one and a half sacks, six interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 14 pass deflections, and one touchdown. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Month for November and AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his 15-tackle, one-interception performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 17. In the Wild Card Round loss to the Tennessee Titans, Lewis totaled 17 tackles.

In 2004, Lewis was named first-team All-Pro by the AP, second-team "All Pro" by College and Pro Football Weekly and Football Digest, and "All Pro" by The Sporting News. He finished the 2004 season playing 15 games while recording 146 total tackles, one sack, two fumble recoveries, one fumble forced, and six pass deflections as the Ravens went 9–7. He earned a seventh Pro Bowl nomination.

Lewis's 2005 season was cut short by an injury in Week 6. He was placed on injured reserve in Week 8, having amassed 46 tackles, a sack, an interception, two pass deflections, and a fumble recovery in the season's first six games. The Ravens struggled to a final record of 6–10.

In 2006, Lewis led the Ravens defense to an NFL-best ranking in 14 major defensive categories, including total yards allowed, points per game allowed, and interceptions. The Ravens also finished second in sacks, take-aways, and rushing yards allowed. Lewis missed two games due to an injury, but still recorded 103 tackles, a personal best of five sacks, two interceptions, and eight pass deflections in 14 games. He also forced a fumble and recovered one. The Ravens allowed just one 100-yard rushing performance in the 14 games Lewis played. Lewis was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week following his seven-tackle, one-sack, and three-pass-deflection performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the season opener. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl, but withdrew because of a hand injury, ceding his spot to fellow Ravens linebacker Bart Scott. Lewis finished fifth in voting for Defensive Player of the Year. Lewis totaled 15 tackles and a pass deflection in the Divisional Round loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Despite the Ravens' mediocre 5–11 season, Lewis was the team's leading tackler. Against the Cleveland Browns, Lewis recorded 16 tackles, recovered a fumble, and returned an interception for a touchdown. He earned his ninth career Pro Bowl nomination. He finished the season with 120 total tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, ten passes deflected, two interceptions, and one touchdown.

In 2008, Lewis helped lead the Ravens to the AFC Championship while totaling 117 tackles, three and a half sacks, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and nine passes deflected. He was named a starter to the Pro Bowl, his tenth such nomination, and was named an Associated Press first-team All-Pro for the sixth time. In addition, he was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week following his eight tackles, two interception, and two pass deflections against the Houston Texans in Week 10. In the three playoff games against the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, and Pittsburgh Steelers, Lewis totaled 29 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflection in three games. After the season, he became an unrestricted free agent, but agreed to return to the Baltimore Ravens to complete his career. The contract, which would have run through 2015 (including two option years), was said to be worth $10 million the first year, but was highly incentivized.

In 2009, Lewis was named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press for the seventh time (ninth selection overall) and named to his 11th Pro Bowl. He accumulated an AFC-leading 134 tackles on the season. He also added three sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and seven passes deflected. Lewis added 21 tackles, one sack, and one pass deflection in two playoff games. In the September 2009 issue of Sporting News' Magazine, Lewis was selected to their Team of the Decade (2000s). In Week 2 against the San Diego Chargers, Lewis made the game-saving tackle on running back Darren Sproles on a fourth-down play. After the game, Lewis said it was one of the best tackles he has made in his career. Lewis was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-2000s Team.

In 2010, Lewis was named second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press for the third time (10th All-Pro selection overall) and named to his 12th Pro Bowl. He totaled 139 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, four pass deflections, and one defensive touchdown, which came on a 24-yard pick six against the Panthers in Week 11. Lewis added 13 tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble in two playoff games. On Sunday, November 21, 2010, Lewis became only the second player in NFL history to record at least 30 interceptions and 30 sacks for their career. He was the fastest player (204 games) to achieve that feat. He was ranked fourth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011. He earned the highest ranking for a defensive player on the initial ranking by the NFL players.

In Week 3, Lewis was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the St. Louis Rams. In the 37–7 victory, Lewis had one sack, one forced fumble, and ten solo tackles. In the 2011 season, Lewis was named to his 13th and what proved to be his final Pro Bowl, and led the Ravens with 95 tackles despite missing four games with an injury. Lewis also collected two sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, and seven pass deflections. Lewis totaled 20 tackles and one pass deflection in two playoff games. On Sunday, October 16, 2011, against the Houston Texans, Lewis became the first player in NFL history with at least 40 sacks and 30 interceptions in his career. He was ranked 20th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.

Lewis suffered torn triceps on October 14, 2012, during a game against the Dallas Cowboys, and had them surgically repaired three days later. Several sources had reported he was expected to return to action December 16 in the game against the Denver Broncos, much earlier than his expected return in January, but he was inactive for the game. On January 2, 2013, Lewis announced he would retire after his team finished the 2012–13 NFL playoffs.

He returned to action for Baltimore's Wild Card Round game against the Colts and led the defense to a 24–9 win. On the game's last play, Lewis lined up on offense at fullback. The Ravens were not slated to play another home playoff game (since they were the number-four seed, and the day before, the Houston Texans beat the number-six seed Cincinnati Bengals), so they wanted Lewis to be on the field for the final play. Next, the Ravens defeated the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round, 38–35 in double overtime, and then defeated the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship, 28–13. Lewis's final career NFL game was Super Bowl XLVII, where the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 34–31. Lewis finished the regular season with 57 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one deflection in six games. In the postseason, Lewis led the NFL with 51 tackles. He contributed two tackles for loss and one pass deflection in the Ravens' Super Bowl XLVII run.

Throughout his career, Lewis built a reputation as a leader and intimidating force at middle linebacker. He has led his team in tackles in 12 of his 14 seasons. The Ravens did not allow a single 100-yard rusher in 51 consecutive games from the 1998 through 2001 seasons. In addition to his run defense, Lewis has also gained a reputation as a complete defender. His 31 interceptions rank fifth all-time among NFL linebackers, and just six short of the top spot. Since the murder allegations, Lewis's image has recovered, and today he is considered one of the most dominant linebackers in the history of the NFL. Lewis was also selected as the third-best linebacker of all time on the show The Sports List. A poll of NFL coaches selected him as the most dominant player in the NFL before the 2003 season by being mentioned on 10 ballots, while no other player was mentioned more than twice. Team owner Steve Bisciotti stated his intention to erect a statue of Lewis outside M&T Bank Stadium. On September 4, 2014, days before the Ravens season opener, a statue of Lewis was unveiled in front of M&T Bank Stadium.

Lewis has been referenced in television shows such as The Wire, films such as The Rundown (by that movie's star and Lewis's friend & former teammate at Miami, Dwayne Johnson), and in music videos, such as in Mario's "Just a Friend 2002" and Nelly's "Heart of a Champion". Lewis has appeared in television ads for NFL Network, Reebok, Under Armour, Old Spice, and Eastern Motors. He was the featured athlete on the cover of Madden NFL 2005. That season, he missed a number of games to an injury, adding to the "Madden Curse". He was documented in NFL Network's documentary series A Football Life. He was named to the NFL 100 All Time Team.

Lewis opened the Ray Lewis Full Moon Bar-B-Que, which operated in Baltimore's Canton neighborhood from February 2005 until 2008. He has also gained several national corporate endorsements, some of which draw upon his tough image. In 2004, Lewis was placed on the cover of the highly popular Madden NFL 2005 video game published by EA Sports, and is also a very avid player of the same series. In 2006, it was announced that Lewis, Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, and entrepreneur Mark Bloomquist would form S&L Racing, intending to race both cars and trucks from a North Carolina headquarters. Lewis's attempt to join NASCAR racing failed.

On March 13, 2013, it was announced that Lewis would join ESPN as a contributor for their NFL coverage. Lewis was let go by ESPN in 2016. On June 20, 2017, it was announced Lewis had been hired by cable sports network Fox Sports 1.

Lewis competed against tight end Tony Gonzalez in an episode of Spike (now Paramount Network)'s Lip Sync Battle, which aired on February 2, 2017. He emerged victorious with performances of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" and "Hot in Herre" by Nelly, who joined him for the performance.

In August 2019, Lewis was announced as one of the celebrities to compete on season 28 of Dancing with the Stars. He later withdrew from the competition due to a tendon injury in his foot, requiring surgery.

Lewis has been heavily involved in charitable activities throughout his professional career. He started the Ray Lewis 52 Foundation which is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to provide personal and economic assistance to disadvantaged youth. The foundation has funded such events as adopting 10 families in Baltimore community for the holidays, an annual celebrity auction and bowling tournament, the Great Maryland Duck Derby, Thanksgiving food drives on North Avenue in Baltimore, and Ray's Summer Days. All proceeds have helped fund the Ray Lewis Foundation.

Lewis has since been involved in pressing political, business, and philanthropic leaders for a stronger commitment to disability sports both here and in the developing world. Lewis was also honored with a JB award (named in honor of CBS broadcaster James Brown) during the 2006 off-season and received the "Act of Kindness" Award for his work in the community.

Since his rookie year in 1996, Lewis has won numerous NFL awards, including being named Defensive Player of the Year twice (2000 and 2003), as well as Super Bowl MVP after winning Super Bowl XXXV after the 2000 season. He is also a 13-time Pro Bowler and seven-time AP First Team All-Pro player, a three-time AP Second Team All-Pro Selection, and was also a two-time All-American in college (1994 and 1995).

On May 11, 2010, a portion of Baltimore's North Avenue was renamed "Ray Lewis Way" in honor of the linebacker and his charitable work.

Lewis had career totals of 2,059 total tackles (1,568 solo), 19 forced fumbles, 117 passes defended, 102.5 stuffs for a loss, 41.5 sacks, 20 fumble recoveries, 31 interceptions for 503 yards, one safety, and three touchdowns in 228 games. He has been selected to 13 NFL Pro Bowl games, a record for an inside/middle linebacker, in his 17 seasons, and led the NFL in tackles five times (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004). In 2003, Lewis led all linebackers with six interceptions, a total matching the post-merger all-time record for a middle linebacker in a single season. Lewis was named first-team Associated Press All-Pro in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009 and second-team All-Pro in 1997, 1998, and 2010. His 10 total All-Pro selections is a record for an inside/middle linebacker and ties the record for a linebacker (Lawrence Taylor also has 10 selections). In 21 career playoff games, Lewis has totaled 214 tackles (135 solo), two sacks, six forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions for 54 yards, 15 pass deflections, 10.5 stuffs for a loss, and one touchdown.

Lewis was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, his first year of eligibility. Lewis joined teammate Jonathan Ogden in Canton; the two were the Ravens' first two draft picks after the team relocated to Baltimore.

Lewis is a Christian, and his commitment to his faith was featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story in 2006. He has a total of six children: four boys, and two girls.

His son Ray III played college football at the University of Miami, and later Coastal Carolina. Ray III would later play indoor football for the Wyoming Mustangs in 2021. Ray III died at the age of 28 on June 15, 2023, of an accidental overdose.

His son Rayshad played at Utah State and University of Maryland.

Michael Phelps, a Baltimore native and Ravens fan, stated that he found his life purpose and desire to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics after seeking Lewis's advice.

Lewis is a fan of English soccer club Manchester City FC. In 2015, Lewis' autobiography, I Feel Like Going On: Life, Game, and Glory, was published

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