The relationship began when Moss was in high school and faced charges in a racially-motivated fight at DuPont High near his hometown of Rand, W.Va. DiPiero, a West Virginia attorney, had been Moss’s agent since the wideout was a first-round draft pick of the Vikings out of Marshall in 1998.

“Randy has talked to me for a while about finishing his career without an agent, and recently told me that as a veteran entering his 13th season he no longer believed he needs an agent,’’ DiPiero wrote yesterday in an e-mail. “He told me he would be sending me official notice of his decision, which he did last week.

“It has been a privilege representing him all these years and to have had a close-up view as we all watched a high school kid, who was this incredible phenom, grow into a man and one of the greatest NFL players of all time. What has been most satisfying is to see him give back to our local community, especially to the kids. Randy has a soft spot for kids and when he does things for them, he does it for the right reasons. I will continue to catch him on TV each Sunday and root for him to get a [Super Bowl] ring before he retires.’’

The 33-year-old Moss is entering the final year of his contract, and at former teammate Heath Evans’s charity softball game in February in Jupiter, Fla., he expressed a belief that he won’t be re-signed by the Patriots.

“I got a lot of respect for the Patriots and what they did for me and my family,’’ Moss said at the time. “So the only thing I can do is just play this year out and see what my future holds after that.’’

He added at the time that there is no animosity on either side, saying that “the Patriots don’t really pay’’ as an organizational philosophy. Team owner Robert Kraft bristled at that assertion days later, noting that Moss made more than $20 million over the last two years.

Moss’s base salary for 2010 is $6.4 million, the remainder of the three-year, $27 million contract he signed after his record-breaking 2007 season. Last season he had 83 catches for 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns; in three seasons in New England Moss has scored 47 touchdowns.

His 148 career receiving TDs are second most in league history to Jerry Rice’s 197.

Shalise Manza Young can be reached at syoung@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @shalisemyoung.