Bernie Kosar is scheduled to receive a liver transplant on Monday morning. The former University of Miami and Cleveland Browns star quarterback shared the news in a social media post on Sunday night.
“Thank you all for the thoughts, prayers, and support – it truly means the world to me,” Kosar said in the post from his hospital bed.
The 61-year-old was set to receive a liver transplant last weekend, but said that it was delayed because the donor organ was infected. During the past week, he has undergone five procedures to stop internal bleeding.
Kosar told Cleveland Magazine last year that he had been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s disease. He said he had been affected by liver-related issues for years but brushed them off because he wasn’t sure of the source. A diagnosis of cirrhosis in late 2023 confirmed the severity of his condition.
Kosar played in the NFL for 12 seasons after leading the University of Miami to its first national championship during the 1983 season. He grew up in Youngstown, Ohio rooting for the Browns, who selected him in the 1985 NFL supplemental draft. He played for the Browns from 1985-93, leading the franchise to three AFC championship game appearances (1986, 1987 and 1989), losing each time to the Denver Broncos. Kosar is third all-time in franchise history with 21,904 passing yards.
After being released by the Browns, Kosar joined the Dallas Cowboys for the remainder of the 1993 season and won a Super Bowl ring. He then played for the Miami Dolphins from 1994 to 1996.
