Cris Carter reveals Randy Moss almost caused him to leave Vikings

The 1998 Minnesota Vikings featured one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history but a contract dispute involving Cris Carter almost made a partnership between him and Randy Moss never happen.

Appearing on the "Fully Loaded" podcast, Carter revealed that he wanted to re-work his contract after the Vikings selected Moss with the 21st overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft and called then-general manager Jeff Diamond to voice his displeasure.

"I called the general manager... I said, 'Bro, I ain’t coming back up there. I ain’t coming to Minnesota.

...I said, 'Man, y’all just drafted this kid. I just watched him high-hurdle a motherf**ker. I see what's happening. I’m 33. I’ve made five straight Pro Bowls. I see the writing on the wall. Y’all want me to drop all this information into this kid, and [I've got] one year left on my contract, then y’all gonna put me out somewhere. That ain’t gonna happen.

I ain’t coming to Minnesota. I ain’t stepping foot in the state. I ain’t coming to no mini-camp. And y’all explain to the people why I’m not here. I ain’t going to say one word until you get my money right.'"

- Cris Carter via Fully Loaded

Minnesota Vikings took care of Cris Carter after drafting Randy Moss

Carter’s biggest displeasure with his salary was that he wasn’t making close to the $6 million per year that Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin were at the time. When Diamond balked at the idea he was on the same level as those players, Carter threatened to leave until former owner Red McCombs stepped in, and Carter agreed to a three-year, $18 million deal.

"Red said, ‘Crissy, we’re gonna take care of you, son. You’ve been good to the organization.’...They came up with the money [and] they tore up the last year of my contract."

- Cris Carter via Fully Loaded

While McCombs’s tenure was littered with cheap investments, the decision to pay Carter worked out. Carter caught 78 passes for 1,011 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Randy Moss exploded with 69 catches for 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns while helping Minnesota set a then-NFL record with 556 points scored and led them to the NFC Championship Game.

Carter played three more seasons in Minnesota, catching 259 passes for 3,386 yards and 28 touchdowns before signing with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent in 2002. But Moss blossomed under Carter’s mentorship, catching 574 passes for 9.142 yards and 90 touchdowns in seven seasons before he was traded to the Oakland Raiders before the 2005 season.

Both players are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Carter went down as one of the greatest players in Vikings history even if the relationship was on the verge of ending in 1998.

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