San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Randy Moss addressed the media on Tuesday as he prepared for his second Super Bowl appearance and declared himself the greatest receiver to ever play in the NFL.
“Now that I’m older, I do think I’m the greatest receiver to ever do it,” Moss said when asked about his place in the football history books. “I don’t really live on numbers. I really live on impact and what you’re able to do out on the field. I really think I’m the greatest receiver to ever play this game.”
Moss has had a subpar year with the 49ers since signing with them in the offseason. During the regular season, Moss had 28 receptions for 434 yards and three touchdowns. In the two playoff victories, Moss has had five receptions for 71 yards.
Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who is believed by most to be the greatest receiver of all time, was shocked by Moss’ comments.
“I impacted the game by winning Super Bowls,” Rice said during an interview with ESPN. “… Randy is still trying to win his first one, and I wish him the best, but I was very surprised that he said he’s the best receiver to ever play the game. I leave that up to my fans to make that statement.”
Rice is arguably the greatest receiver to ever grace the field because he holds all-time records with 1,549 receptions, 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns. Moss only has 982 catches for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns in his 14-year career.
The only record that Moss holds over Rice is that he is the only receiver to have had at least one catch of 50 yards or longer in each of his first 12 seasons. But Moss considers himself to be the greatest because he feels that he revolutionized defensive coverage.
“What other receiver forced defenses to drop two safeties all the time and even put three or four guys deep on every play and still got it done,” Moss asked. “That’s what I’m talking about impact.”
The 35-year-old Moss saw his career flourish with the Minnesota Vikings before being traded to the Oakland Raiders, where he slumped. He was then traded to the New England Patriots in 2007, where he revived his career with Tom Brady.
In 2007, Moss caught a staggering 98 passes for 1,493 yards and a single-season record 23 touchdowns, which helped the Patriots achieve a 16-0 regular-season record.
Moss has sparked controversy in the past by some of his actions and remarks, and now he has done it again. In order to cement his legacy in the history books he will need to contribute in Sunday’s game and come out victorious with the elusive Super Bowl ring that is missing from his resume.
Maybe then some will believe he is the greatest receiver of all time.
