Cleveland Browns legend Bernie Kosar was hospitalized on Tuesday for the third time in the past month, he announced Tuesday.
Kosar, who underwent a liver transplant surgery Nov. 17, said Wednesday he had been re-admitted to University Hospitals due to E. Coli blood poisoning.
“Back in the hospital with E. coli blood poisoning,” Kosar wrote in a post to X. “Still choosing to make today a winning day. Let’s make a real difference in the lives we touch—families, communities, all of it. One step at a time. U Matter.”
No further details surrounding Kosar’s hospitalization were immediately available.
It’s been a busy past few weeks of hospital check-ins and discharges for the former Browns quarterback.
On Nov. 12, Kosar announced on X that he was hospitalized and in need of a liver transplant after a previous surgery was delayed due to the donor organ being infected. He underwent a successful liver transplant procedure on Nov. 17 and was discharged from University Hospitals one week later on Nov. 24 – one day before his 62nd birthday and three days before Thanksgiving.
However, less than one week later, Kosar was re-admitted to UH on Nov. 30, but didn’t share further details about what led to his hospitalization. He was discharged from UH for the second time on Dec. 2, saying that he was “heading home with gratitude,” he wrote in a post to X.
Kosar’s liver transplant surgery took five hours to complete, according to Dr. Zoe Lewis, who performed the procedure. Lewis said Kosar’s surgery was “uneventful, thankfully,” and that he was one of few patients who was able to have their breathing tube removed in the operating room following surgery. She added that Kosar’s recovery process will include a routine follow-up program with UH which includes “lots of blood testing” on a weekly basis.
Last month, Jim McCarthy, a close friend of Kosar’s, launched a GoFundMe fundraiser on behalf of Kosar to help assist with his medical costs. The fundraiser has surpassed $173,000 of its $300,000 goal as of Wednesday afternoon.
On Thanksgiving Day, Kosar donated $25,000 from the GoFundMe to the family of Bryce Dunlap, a 21-year-old Cleveland man whose family donated his liver to Kosar after Bryce’s death last month.
“This family changed my life forever when they blessed me with the incredible gift of Bryce’s liver,” Kosar wrote in a Facebook post announcing the donation. “Their generosity gave me a second chance, and I will never stop honoring Bryce’s legacy.”
Kosar announced he was suffering from liver failure and in need of a transplant during an interview with Cleveland Magazine in July 2024. He was placed on UH’s liver transplant list in spring 2024. In that same interview, Kosar also announced he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“I’ve got early dementia,” Kosar told Cleveland.com’s Terry Pluto. “I got early Parkinson’s. I’ve got a lot of stuff going on, but I’m telling you – I haven’t felt this good in years.”
A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Kosar played eight-plus seasons in Cleveland after the Browns selected the former Miami national champion quarterback first overall in the 1985 NFL Supplemental Draft.
He earned one Pro Bowl selection with the Browns and ranks second in franchise history in pass completions (1,853), pass attempts (3,150) and playoff wins (3); third in passing yards (21,904) and QB wins (53); and fourth in passing touchdowns (116).