Tom Brady has sent an emotional message to Randy Moss after his ex-New England Patriots teammate stepped away from ESPN to battle a mystery illness.

Last week ESPN announced that Moss, who typically works on their Sunday NFL Countdown program, is leaving the show temporarily to focus on a ‘personal health challenge’.

While exactly what he’s going through remains unclear, the Hall of Fame wide receiver wore sunglasses on his last Sunday NFL Countdown appearance after admitting he was ‘battling something internally’.

Tributes have poured in for him since ESPN confirmed he is stepping away from the network, including from rival analysts over on Fox Sports.

Two of his former teammates, Brady and Rob Gronkowski, are currently working for Fox, and the pair were on hand with heartfelt messages for Moss during their latest broadcast on Sunday.

‘One of the all-time great teammates and friends, in touch to this day,’ Brady said. ‘Our heart obviously is with you, our prayers, all our positive energy.

Tom Brady has sent an emotional message to Randy Moss amid his mystery health battle

‘We love you so much, man.’

Gronkowski then added: ‘We’re thinking about you Randy. We love you man.’

After beginning his career in Minnesota and then moving to Oakland, Moss joined Brady in New England in 2007.

That season, the duo were part of one of the greatest teams in the league’s history, despite their notorious Super Bowl XLII defeat to the New York Giants.

Across his career, Moss led the NFL in receiving touchdowns five times – including in 2007 when he set the all-time record for touchdown catches in a season.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame in 2018, was named to the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team and the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

At the end of last month, fans were left concerned for Moss after claiming that his eyes looked more yellow than usual while he was on Sunday NFL Countdown.

After admitting he was battling a health issue on the program the football great also said in a video on Instagram: ‘Throughout the week of the holidays, your boy has been battling something internal.

Brady and Moss were part of one of the greatest teams in NFL history with the Patriots in 2007

‘I just ask for all the prayer warriors to put their blessings on me and my family in these hard times.

‘People were asking about my eyes last week. If you see these on in Sunday NFL Countdown (puts on glasses) Adam Schefter calls them the Michigan turnover glasses that they sent from Ohio last night.

‘Your boy is going to get through it. I got a great team of doctors, and I got a great family around me.

‘Y’all do your checkups, get your bloodwork done, and we’ll work through it.’