Colin Cowherd on Joe Burrow

Colin Cowherd was notably absent from his radio and FS1 show The Herd on Monday and Tuesday, with Nick Wright filling in. Hosts take days off occasionally, of course, but right after the Super Bowl? That’s prime sports talk time.

Well, Cowherd posted a video on Instagram on Tuesday night confirming that he wasn’t just taking a break from work by choice during two of his show’s biggest days of the year.

Cowherd explained that he was “rushed to the emergency room” — after being out to dinner — on Saturday night after experiencing a “sharp pain” on the right side of his chest, the “most pain” he’s ever been in.

X-rays determined that Cowherd had a small blood clot in his right lung that was limiting his breathing. He tested negative for COVID-19 twice.

Cowherd: “I was put up into a room, and I was pretty much knocked out with morphine, a narcotic, for 16 to 18 hours. I watched the Super Bowl, took notes, but at that point I was just exhausted.”

Here’s the video of Cowherd addressing the situation:

 

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A post shared by Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd)

Hi everybody. Many of you have inquired and wondered why I wasn’t on the show Monday or Tuesday after the Super Bowl, which is obviously as big of days as I have as a broadcaster. So I thought I needed to come front and center with what happened.

Saturday night, I was having dinner with my wife and had a sharp pain under my right pec. I knew it wasn’t my heart; it was my right side. But it was the most pain I think I’ve ever been in. I called a friend… four minutes later his car swooped in front of the restaurant, grabbed me… we ran through a few red lights and got to the emergency room at Torrance Memorial.

From there, thinking it was COVID, I was rushed to the emergency room in incredible pain, and I was tested for COVID. It wasn’t COVID. I was put up into a room, and I was pretty much knocked out with morphine, a narcotic, for 16 to 18 hours. I watched the Super Bowl, took notes, but at that point I was just exhausted.

They found through the X-rays that I had a small blood clot in my right lung; it was limiting my breathing. Again, it was scary. The good news… they tested me again for COVID, and I didn’t have it. I’m waiting for some blood work. I have no idea why it happened. I have been doing a lot of skiing, high-altitude, and traveling… that could be it… we don’t know. I’ll find out in a few days. 

But thank you for your patience. I apologize for not being there on the biggest days of the year for my show. The staff’s been amazing, the support from Fox Sports and iHeartRadio has been unbelievable. I mean, really touching. I’m going to be back on the air as soon as I can. I went for a 30-minute walk today, which is amazing considering where I was 48 hours ago. I had a massage today to increase blood circulation. I’m doing all I can. I’m attacking this. I’ll be back soon. Thank you for your patience. I appreciate it. And I just want to thank everybody for the support. It’s been incredibly touching. It’s been an emotional couple of days. Thanks.

So, it’s unclear how long Cowherd will be absent from his show, but that’s of course secondary to his health right now. It’s good to hear that he’s at least made considerable progress over the last 48 hours, and hopefully he can get healthy and return to his show soon.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

He can be followed on Twitter at @Matt2Clapp (also @TheBlogfines for Cubs/MLB tweets and @DaBearNecess for Bears/NFL tweets), and can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.