Following surgery Monday morning for a liver transplant, Bernie Kosar shared on social media, “I’m out, and I’m feeling good.”
“Ready to enjoy the rest of the week and the rest of our lives,” the former Cleveland Browns quarterback said from his hospital bed in a video posted to X.
Ahead of surgery at Cleveland’s University Hospital, the 61-year-old sent a pre-dawn message thanking fans for their support. “Well, it may not be Victory Monday on the football field, but here we are at 4:23 in the morning, University Hospital, and it’s absolutely Victory Monday for me,” Kosar said in a video posted to X.
“So looking forward to really, literally, heading on down right now to get that liver transplant,” he continued. “You know, as you get ready for something monumental and transformative like this in your life, you can’t help but be, you know, be a little reflective.
“And, you know, as I go down here today, I think about all the awesome, awesome support and fans out there, and my amazing children and family.”
It might not be Victory Monday on the field, but it is a Victory Monday for me at UH as I head into surgery today. I can’t thank you all enough for the love and support — it truly means everything. Stay tuned for more updates! 🙌Matter #UMatter #ShopKosar #VictoryMonday… pic.twitter.com/oGkPc6iKZa
— Bernie Kosar (@BernieKosarQB) November 17, 2025
The transplant had been scheduled for the previous weekend, but it had to be delayed after doctors determined the donor liver intended for Kosar was unsuitable. Over the past week, he underwent several procedures to control internal bleeding.
In another video shared on social media last Thursday, Kosar said he had just completed his fifth procedure in a week. “I want to say how great I’m doing, but wow, the bleeding came back really aggressively in the middle of the night.”
In 2024, Kosar told Cleveland Magazine that he had been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and that doctors said he showed the early signs of Parkinson’s disease. He was placed on a liver transplant list in the late spring of that year.
Kosar, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, grew up rooting for the Cleveland Browns. Years later, he wound up leading the team to three AFC Championship Game appearances (1986, ’87 and ’89) as its quarterback.
Before the Browns-Ravens game in Cleveland on Sunday, the franchise played a tribute video to Kosar on the scoreboard at Huntington Bank Stadium. “With the support of everyone here today and all Browns fans, Bernie, we are cheering you on and with you every step of the way,” the video said. “Stay strong and keep fighting.”
After his playing career, Kosar worked for the Browns as an analyst on the team’s pregame radio show, but the team fired him in 2023 after Kosar violated NFL rules by placing a ceremonial wager on a sports gambling app.
As a quarterback, Kosar made his mark on football history. The quarterback led the University of Miami to its first national championship in 1983 and went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL for the Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins.
The Browns released Kosar midway through the 1993 season, after which he joined the Cowboys as a backup to Troy Aikman. When Aikman had to leave that year’s NFC Championship Game with an injury, Kosar stepped in and helped the Cowboys defeat the San Francisco 49ers. Aikman returned for Super Bowl XXVIII against the Buffalo Bills, and Dallas won its third championship.
Kosar finished his career backing up Dan Marino for three seasons in Miami before retiring in 1996.
