Legendary Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar revealed a troubling medical diagnosis earlier this week. In an interview with Cleveland Magazine, he revealed doctors have diagnosed him with Parkinson’s Disease with a 90 percent chance he’ll need a liver transplant in the near future.
Kosar said he began feeling sick late last year before finally going to the doctor’s early in 2024.
“I went into the hospital and got a massive blood transfusion,” Kosar said via Cleveland.com. “It was like: ‘How are you alive? How are you moving? Because your hemoglobin levels are so low.’’’
Responding to comments after the interview went live, Kosar tweeted he’s “thinking positive thoughts.”
Bernie Kosar, who turns 61 in November, served as the Browns’ starting quarterback for nine seasons. He’s arguably the best one of the post-merger era, a one-time Pro Bowler who led Cleveland to multiple playoff berths. Under him, they made the postseason five straight seasons from 1985-1989, making the AFC Title Game three times. The Browns lost all three, including a heartbreaker to John Elway and the Denver Broncos in 1986. Dubbed “The Drive,” Elway marched the offense 98 yards in the final minutes to tie the game, winning in overtime.
In 12 NFL seasons, Kosar started 108 games. He threw for more than 23,000 yards and 124 touchdowns. His 116 scores as a Brown remain fourth in team history. Kosar’s best season came in 1987 when he made the Pro Bowl after throwing 22 touchdowns and completing 62 percent of his passes.
Kosar had great success against the Steelers over his career, going 10-4 versus Pittsburgh. He didn’t exactly face the ’70s Steel Curtain but served as the starter for one of the worst losses in Steelers’ history, losing to the Browns 51-0 in the 1989 season opener. Pittsburgh would get their revenge later in the year, picking him off four times in a 17-7 win. His top performance against the Steelers occurred in 1986, throwing for 414 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-31 shootout win.
We wish Kosar and his family the best and hope he can find a donor as soon as possible.
