Moss, Carter trade criticisms

Cris Carter called out Randy Moss for his tendency to quit, which caused Moss to pull out the “ego” card on Carter. The former Vikings teammates traded criticisms on Tuesday.

Former Vikings receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter played together for four years and went to two NFC Championship games as teammates.

That doesn’t mean there wasn’t a competition among them in the late 1990s and early 2000s, something that came to the forefront again Tuesday morning when Carter was critical of Moss’ ability to fight through tough times on the field. Speaking on ESPN radio, Carter reinforced the notion that Moss will quit when a game gets difficult.

Carter’s comments were especially poignant in light of Moss saying Monday that he wants to return to playing football at age 35.

"The one thing you have to address with Randy Moss is not a conditioning thing," Carter said. "It's not an age thing. It needs to be addressed. I believe it's the elephant in the room. It's that thing called quit. And Randy, not like any other superstar I've met, he has more quit in him than any of those other players. So I need to address that. I think that's what (New England Patriots coach Bill) Belichick did when he brought him over from Oakland. He told him he wasn't going to allow it, wasn’t going to have it.

"But Randy, when things don't go well, like no other player I've ever been around or associated with, he has a quit mechanism in him that's huge and that needs to be addressed before he signs with any team."

During their days in Minnesota, Carter positioned himself as Moss’ mentor, a stance that often seemed to irk Moss, even after Carter left the NFL.

“its sad how u stroked ur own ego when u were suppose to b my mentor!” Moss tweeted Tuesday morning after Carter’s on-air criticism. “then u wonder why karma bites u in the ass!#goodlukwithhof”

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Of course, Carter has failed to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame since he was eligible in 2007. This year, he didn’t make the final five in the voting, despite finishing his 16-year career with 1,101 catches for 13,899 yards and 130 touchdowns.

Later, Moss seemed to back off his stance on Carter, tweeting, “Cc no matter I still luv u bruh”

Carter said he still thinks Moss can be a productive player, calling him “a freakish athlete” who could run a 4.2-second 40-yard dash as a rookie and believes he could still run a 4.3. But Carter said Moss’ eating habits were never good and that could catch up with him now that he’s in his mid-30s.

Still, when asked if he would choose Moss over another aging receiver, Terrell Owens, who is 38 and also wants to return to the NFL, Carter seemed to lean towards Moss.

“It’s a tough call. ... They’re limited. They’re not featured players,” Carter said. “They’re players that you’re going to ask them to do a couple specific things.”

Moss’ speed and health seemed to give him the upper hand over Owens in Carter’s assessment.

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