Just months after a life-saving liver transplant seemed to put Bernie Kosar on the road to recovery, the Cleveland Browns legend has shared a cryptic and concerning message from a hospital bed, signaling a new, unexpected battle.

“Alright, the week didn’t start out as planned,” said Kosar in his latest Instagram video. “Little surgery today, we are gonna have a winning day, you matter.”

In the posted video, the former Browns quarterback appears to be in a hospital, suggesting he is preparing for an additional surgery, more than three months after the previous surgery.

On November 17, the former Browns player had liver transplant surgery. The transplant became necessary after a 2024 diagnosis of liver cirrhosis, a late-stage condition that left the Browns icon with few other options.

His liver donor was Bryce Dunlap, a Browns fan, who passed away at 21. He had been recovering for three months, but it’s unclear whether his most recent surgery update refers to a recurring liver issue.

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In his heyday, the former legendary quarterback played twelve NFL seasons, including nine with the Cleveland Browns. Later, he suited up for the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins. He won the Super Bowl in 1994 with the Cowboys. His illustrious career came to an end in 1996 when he was 33.

This latest health scare is another chapter in a long battle for Kosar, whose post-NFL life has been marked by significant medical challenges extending far beyond his recent liver transplant.

Bernie Kosar’s other health issues throughout his life

Like many players of his era, Kosar’s career was plagued by numerous concussions that had a lasting impact on his health. But he took the necessary treatment to keep the symptoms under control, both during his playing days and after he retired from the gridiron. The quarterback was sacked approximately 250 times during his playing career, which contributed to his concussion history.

Kosar reportedly also struggled with sleep deprivation. He started taking prescription drugs for insomnia, but he eventually began experiencing seizures, including one at the Chicago Airport that sent him into a five-day coma. The doctors also found he had Parkinson’s disease in 2023. He was diagnosed at an early stage, and it’s seemingly under control.

“He [Kosar] played in a period where a number of the stadiums had old-fashioned artificial turf. And it’s almost like it was concrete, almost, with kind of a rug over it,” said Ideastream Public Media sports commentator Terry Pluto. “And so when you’d hit your head on that, it would bounce off of it. Then there was the culture around football. ‘Ah, you got dinged in the head. You’re okay.’”

Kosar joins a small fraternity of former NFL players who have faced this specific life-threatening ordeal, including broadcast legend Pat Summerall, who received a life-saving transplant in 2004, which subsequently allowed him to live for another nine years.