Randy Moss Retirement: The 20 Best Catches of His NFL Career

Randy Moss made some noise around the NFL today by announcing his retirement.

The 13-year veteran played for four teams over the course of his career, including three different ones last season.

"The Freak," as he was sometimes known as, caught 954 passes totaling 14,858 yards and 153 touchdowns.

Moss’ agent, Joe Segal, told ESPN of his client: "After weighing his options and contemplating offers, he's decided to retire."

The 34-year-old wide receiver has had a stellar career after being taken 21st overall in the 1998 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings.

Moss came into the league and immediately became a human highlight reel, averaging 19 yards per reception and scoring a ridiculous 17 touchdowns. He ended his career in Minnesota after seven great years.

After being traded to Oakland for Napoleon Harris and a first-round pick, Moss went through the motions for two seasons.

He was consistently injured and uninterested in contributing to such an abysmal team, eventually being traded to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round pick.

Moss was so excited to be apart of a winning organization and revitalized his career. His first season as a Patriot saw him haul in a record 23 touchdown catches as well as helping the team finish 18-1, losing only to the Giants in the Super Bowl.

Moss put up two more solid years as a Patriot but found he was falling out of favor with the team last year. New England traded him to Minnesota for a third rounder, who cut him less than a month later.

The Tennessee Titans picked Moss up on waivers and played him in eight unproductive games. This is where his career ends.

While Moss may have had a disappointing last hurrah to his career, it does not mean that his plethora of amazing plays and touchdown catches will go uncelebrated.

Without further adieu, let’s take a look at the top 20 catches of Randy Moss’ historic NFL career. 

20. Near Catch Against Giants in Super Bowl

Let's start this with the only near catch you'll see in here.

Moss almost snaged the biggest ball of his career in the dwindling moments of the 2007 Super Bowl.

This would have been the No. 1 highlight if he actually came down with it and the Pats won the title, but alas, it was not to be.

He still made a great run and had a real chance at getting this despite the Giants triple covering him and expecting it.  

19. Beating the Late, Great Sean Taylor

Moss grabbed this touchdown ball during the last season of his first stint with the Minnesota Vikings.

He was traded to the Oakland Raiders three months later.

This is also impressive because it was against All-Pro safety Sean Taylor, whose life was taken far too early. 

18. Favre to Moss Hook Up for the First Time

Moss was traded to the Vikings during this season, and Favre hooked up with him for his 500th touchdown pass. 

Moss was part of history for catching the three-time MVP's 500th touchdown. 

It was also the first of only two touchdowns the tandem would link up for in Moss' four-game stint with the Vikings. 

17. Moss' First Raider Touchdown

Moss was the most anticipated addition to the 2005 Oakland Raiders squad. 

The Raiders gave up a first-round pick and a starting linebacker to get him and were hoping to see production like this on a consistent basis. 

Unfortunately, injuries and sulking led to Moss being a bust during his tenure with the team.

16. Training Camp

Moss made incredible catches no matter what the circumstance.

In this clip, you see him make two great grabs in the span of a few seconds while wearing practice gear.

He snatches two balls out of the air consecutively with alternate one-hand grabs. Pretty cool. 

15. Spygate and First Patriots Game

Welcome to the New England Patriots, Randy Moss!

In his first game ever in a Pats uniform, Moss dazzled fans by streaking down field and hooking up with Tom Brady for a bomb.

Moss was triple covered but just outran everyone. I dont think Bill Belichick filming practice helped him do this. 

14. 150th and 151st Touchdowns

Moss made history by becoming No. 2 to Jerry Rice in career touchdowns versus the Bills this day.

He wasn't happy with just an average touchdown and showed himself up with a spectacular grab later in the game for his 151st receiving touchdown.

Brady makes a gutsy pass right down the middle and Moss splits a ton of defenders for the score. 

13. Thanksgiving Day Massacre

A young Moss torched the Cowboys for three touchdowns on Thanksgiving Day 1998.

Moss always had a knack for the dramatic and came to play when the cameras were focused on him. 

12. Deep Against the Colts

Moss torched the Patriots' archrival Indianapolis Colts for a 63-yard bomb here.

The Patriots always played tough games against the Colts and hooking up on a long bomb while having a defensive back draped around him gave Pats fans at home something to cheer about.  

11. Full Moon in Lambeau

Moss scored a big touchdown over the Vikings rival, the Green Bay Packers.

He then decided to celebrate by faux mooning the crowd.

By having a little fun, he lit a fire in Joe Buck that is more memorable than the touchdown or celebration. 

Buck went on a tangent about how inappropriate Moss' actions were that is still being laughed about today.

10. Over the Middle

Down in the third quarter, backed up deep in their own territory, the New England Patriots thankfully had Moss step up.

Moss went across the middle here and made an incredible one-handed snag.

He got rocked by two defenders but still held on to the ball and got a first down. 

9. Speed Demon

Go to the two-minute mark of this highlight clip and prepare to be amazed.

Moss just streaks down the field and burns a number of defenders. 

It is seems as if Detroit thought there was a timeout and stopped playing, but Moss is really just this freakishly fast. 

8. Monday Night Football

Moss loved playing in nationally televised games. In Week 5 of the 1998 season, Moss scored his first of many MNF touchdowns. 

He manages to jump up, grab the ball, avoid the first defender and finally juke around the double team.

He managed to burn the second guy so bad that he went from in front of Moss to reaching out his arms, futilely attempting to stop the touchdown. 

7. Making History

The 2007 Patriots offense was one of the best in NFL history. 

Moss and Brady both broke touchdown records in this season, and more specifically on this play. 

Right before this highlight happened, Brady and Moss tried and failed on this exact same play.

They went right back to it and Brady hit Moss for their respective 50th and 23rd touchdowns. 

6. Unselfish

This play is one of the coolest Moss had in his entire career.

After making a great catch just a few yards shy of the end zone, he had no path to pay dirt. 

Instead of going down and back to the huddle, Moss spotted a teammate streaking up field behind him.

A little toss over to him makes for an easy score and Moss gets credited with an assist. 

5. One-Handed

Moss makes a sweet grab here without ever securing the ball with two hands. 

He flashed to the corner of the end zone and found himself in one-on-one coverage.

The defensive back made a great attempt at defending it, but Moss just came up with an incredible one-handed grab for a touchdown. 

4. Clutch Performer

Moss came up very big when it counted.

With the clock winding down against the division rival New York Jets, Moss came up huge.

He found a tiny hole at the front of the end zone and made a great diving catch as time expired to bring this game to overtime. 

3. Stopping on a Dime

This is just incredible.

Moss was somehow able to fly down the field going faster than what seems humanly possible. 

What happened next might just top that.

Moss was able to concentrate on catching the ball, which barely made it past a Cowboys defender.

While he doing that, he completely stopped his body and planted both feet in the back of the end zone. 

Moss then reeled in the ball at a standstill while staying inbounds.

Simply amazing. 

2. Leaving Revis Island

Moss was engaged in a war of words with possibly the best corner he has ever faced in his career.

Darrell Revis is much younger than Moss but still may not be an athletic match for him, even as Moss fades into retirement. 

In this clip, you can see Moss just flat-out beat Revis in a one-on-one footrace. 

Then Moss realized that Brady threw the ball far out of reach and gave up on the play.

Wait, that's not what happened. Moss realized he is "The Freak" and stretched out one of his arms and managed to snag the bomb right out of the air for an incredible one-handed touchdown.

Vintage Randy Moss. 

1. The First of Many

Moss' first touchdown catch was a glimpse of everything that was to come from his career.

Speed. Athleticism. Hands. Concentration. Scoring.

Moss raced downfield during his rookie year, turned back and saw a Tampa defender on him.

He made a play on the ball but the defensive back got there first. 

The defensive back got a hand on the ball but Moss was not having it.

They battled and the ball popped into the air a few times before Moss amazingly got his hands securely around it. 

This is one of the best catches of his career and also happened to be his first touchdown. A fitting beginning to a historic career.

You will be missed, Randy Moss.