Randy Moss taking extended leave of absence from ESPN role for health reasons

Pro Football Hall of Famer and ESPN NFL analyst Randy Moss will take a leave of absence from the network because of an undisclosed medical condition, the network announced Friday.

During last week's "Sunday NFL Countdown" show, Moss, 47, said he is "battling something internal" and asked for prayers. He put on glasses during the program.

"I just ask for all the prayer warriors to put their blessing hands on me and my family through these hard times. People were talking about my eyes last week," Moss said. "I'm battling something, man, and it's something internal. Your boy is going to get through it. I got a great team of doctors and got a great family around me."

Moss' eyes had appeared yellow, drawing concern and speculation about what might be ailing him.

"Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss will step away from Sunday NFL Countdown for an extended time to focus on a personal health challenge. He briefly addressed the matter at the start of the show on Dec. 1. For nearly a decade, Randy has been an invaluable member of the team, consistently elevating countdown with his insight and passion," ESPN said in a statement. "He has ESPN's full support, and we look forward to welcoming him back when he is ready."

Moss has been on "Sunday NFL Countdown" since 2016, and before that played 14 seasons in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers.

Moss was named to the Pro Bowl six times and named a first-team All-Pro four times. He retired with 982 receptions for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Randy Moss taking leave of absence from ESPN due to health reasons