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Former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Foster Moreau’s career took a stunning turn this offseason when he announced that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The cancer was discovered during a physical with the New Orleans Saints. Moreau has said that he’s stepping away from football to focus on fighting the cancer but things are looking up for the veteran tight end.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Moreau is signing a three-year contract with the Saints for $12 million, which includes $8 million fully guaranteed.
The Raiders had brought Moreau in for a visit after the news of his Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis and it looked like they could sign him to ensure that he gets medical benefits but that never came to fruition. The Saints are a perfect landing spot for the tight end. He now gets to reunite with his close friend quarterback Derek Carr. Moreau has spent every year of his NFL career catching passes from Carr. He’s also a New Orleans native and played college football at LSU. Lastly, the Saints had a need at tight end and now they should have one for the next three seasons depending on when he’s able to resume football activities.
When Will Moreau Be Able to Play Football?
While any cancer diagnosis is a scary thing for a professional athlete, there is a precedent of players being able to overcome it and play at a high level. Former Kansas City Chiefs star Eric Berry and Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner both overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma en route to having successful NFL careers.
The exact timeline for Moreau’s return isn’t exactly clear but it appears he’s making strides in his recovery. He may have a chance to even play this season, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Moreau has “had positive results after treatment” and “plans to play this season,” Moreau’s agent Joe Linta told Fowler.
The Saints are clearly confident that he’ll be ready to go in the near future based on the contract they gave him.
Moreau Discusses Diagnoses
Moreau was a beloved teammate with the Raiders and there was an outpouring of support once the news broke about his diagnosis. The tight end recently opened up about his thought process when Saints team physician Dr. John Amoss broke the news.
“I felt strong. I felt like I was running well. I mean, my offseason training was going just fine, and then he tells me something’s there that I could’ve never imagined and it rocks my world,” Moreau told Good Morning America in an April 14 interview.
The doctor found a lump in Moreau’s neck but he thought he was just coming down with a cold. The tight end also gave more insight into his status.
“It’s at stage 2, so it’s spread from the initial location. But it appears to be a slow spread and we should be able to get rid of all of it,” Moreau said.
Moreau certainly isn’t going down without a fight and is confident he’ll beat cancer.
“There’s no other way to look at it, right? So I’m preparing for my opponent, right? Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chemotherapy, I’m preparing for being on an IV, for six, seven, eight hours. Whatever it takes, right? Because I mean, there’s no other option. There’s no option,” Moreau said.
“You only have a finite amount of time on this Earth. For me, I’m gonna make it count. And right now, making it count is whuppin’ up on cancer’s butt,” he added.
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