Skip to main content

Why did Randy Moss leave the Patriots? Explaining reason for 6x Pro Bowler’s break up in New England 

Posted on June 14, 2024 - 3:34 am by

Randy Moss is a Hall-of-Fame player who played for multiple years with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Yet, he does not have a Super Bowl ring to his name, because he was traded before he could win one.

But why did New England agree to give up one of the best wide receivers in the league? As it turns out, it was more down to the player than the Patriots.

When Randy Moss left the franchise in 2010, he was well past his 30s. The Patriots were willing to offer him a short-term deal but he wanted a long-term deal that paid him in line with the best receivers in the game. He felt that he deserved it because of the numbers he had put up, including in a 16-0 season that culminated in a harrowing Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants.



But New England did not want to give an aging receiver a long-term deal, especially one where they saw decreasing output in the future. So, Randy Moss chose to leave and join the Minnesota Vikings. He was going back to the team that drafted him and he was about to play with Brett Favre, another Hall-of-Fame quarterback who many thought would lead the franchise to the ultimate glory.

At the time, the whole situation made sense. But as fans know, the Patriots would go on to collect three more Super Bowls with Tom Brady at the helm. Moss would spend a short time with the Vikings, followed by the Titans in the same season in 2010, before attempting a comeback in 2012 with the San Francisco 49ers. The reason for his exceedingly short stay in Minnesota? A diatribe against the coach after a loss to, you guessed it, the Patriots.



Randy Moss’ Patriots breakdown does not seem to linger

Randy Moss might not have left the Patriots under the best of circumstances but he remains a fan favorite and retains deep ties with the people he played with in the organization.

He returned to Gillette Stadium on Wednesday for Tom Brady’s induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame. As one of the quarterback’s best receivers, it was expected he would make an appearance. But what Moss perhaps did not expect was the ovation he got when he began to speak.

People all around stood up to thank him for his service to the franchise, even though they were there to honor the greatest quarterback of all time. It was enough to move Randy Moss to tears.



New England departure perhaps looks bad in hindsight on Hall of Fame receiver

Another important point to consider in all of this is how hindsight has changed how fans see Randy Moss’ departure from New England. He might have been better served by staying with the Patriots.

But at the time, the Vikings had a quarterback playing for them who then owned the passing yards record. People also forget that after the first three Super Bowls by Tom Brady, New England went a decade without winning the Championship, even though they remained competitive. From the wide receiver’s perspective, he might have thought he was getting an upgrade.

Even though it did not turn out that way, he did leave fond memories for Patriots fans. Tom Brady has often said that his biggest regret is not finishing off the perfect 16-0 season with a Super Bowl win against the New York Giants.



Had they done so, Randy Moss could also have gotten the ring he so craved and arguably deserved. But that they did end up having a near-perfect season in the first place, owed a lot to the talents of the wide receiver.