FOXBOROUGH — He’s 35 now, past his prime, a reserve receiver on a team that’s 26th in the NFL in passing offense. But Randy Moss, especially this week, still draws attention.

After a year without football — nobody signed Moss in 2011 — he’s now with the San Francisco 49ers, and will return to Gillette Stadium on Sunday night, going up against a Patriots franchise where he spent three-plus successful seasons, setting multiple records and scoring 50 touchdowns.