New Orleans Saints tight end Foster Moreau inspired countless NFL fans in the offseason when he successfully battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
That made what happened at the end of the Saints’ loss on Thursday Night Football doubly painful for fans, Saints players and likely Moreau himself.
Moreau, the Saints third-string tight end, had a chance to be a hero in the final seconds against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he came up painfully short.
The Saints, who had struggled offensively all game, rallied from a 15-point deficit to tie the game at 24 midway through the fourth quarter.
After Jacksonville quickly responded with a touchdown, the Saints drove down the field and had a chance to tie the game with a TD and PAT or win it with a two-point conversion.
With the ball at the Jags 6-yard line on third down, Saints QB Derek Carr lofted a pass to a wide-open Moreau in the corner of the end zone.
The Saints continued rallying around Moreau after the game, with running back Alvin Kamara walking him to the locker room.
Moreau had a chance to be a hero Thursday night, and he came up short. Not to be trite about such a serious situation,
but he’s already a hero to many for his public battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Moreau announced in July that he was in full remission.
Many fans were surprisingly brutal to Moreau on social media after the dropped pass, but others put the moment in perspective.