Bernie Kosar is scheduled to receive a liver transplant, the former Cleveland Browns quarterback announced.
The 61-year-old Kosar shared the news on social media that surgery had been scheduled for 5 a.m. Monday morning.
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“It might not be Victory Monday on the field, but it is a Victory Monday for me at UH [University Hospital] as I head into surgery today,” Kosar wrote. “I can’t thank you all enough for the love and support — it truly means everything.”
A transplant had been scheduled for last weekend, but Kosar said on Wednesday that it had been delayed due to the donor’s organ being infected. He added that that he required “two aggressive” procedures in order to stop internal bleeding.
On Sunday, the Browns honored Kosar during their game against the Baltimore Ravens.
In July 2024, Kosar revealed that he had been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s disease. He recalled to Cleveland Magazine watching a Browns game against the New York Jets when his symptoms became particularly bad, leading to his hospitalization:
“My body gave out on me,’’ he says. “I really felt like I wasn’t going to make it home from the Jets game. I sucked it up, though, and continued to avoid the doctors until the new year. Then I went into the hospital and got a massive blood transfusion. It was like: ‘How are you alive? How are you moving? Because your hemoglobin levels are so low.’’’
Kosar reportedly became seriously ill again when traveling to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, leading to a hospital stay of several days after his flight.
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After helping the University of Miami to a national title in 1983, Kosar was selected by Cleveland in the 1985 NFL supplemental draft. He played parts of nine seasons with the Browns, helping the franchise reach three AFC championship games.
Kosar would move on to the Dallas Cowboys in 1993 and was Troy Aikman’s backup as during the team’s victory in Super Bowl XXVIII. He would finish his NFL career playing three seasons with the Miami Dolphins.