Foster Moreau learns he has lymphoma after physical with Saints

Tight end Foster Moreau. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Free-agent TE Foster Moreau learns he has Hodgkin lymphoma after physical with Saints

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 3/22/23

Foster Moreau has been in the NFL since he was drafted by the then-Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. He just hit free agency after four successful seasons with the Raiders and appeared to be on his way toward turning his performance into a new contract — perhaps with the New Orleans Saints.

Unfortunately for Moreau, the 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end will have to put his NFL dreams on hold, for now. After undergoing a routine free-agency physical with the Saints, Moreau found out that he has Hodgkin lymphoma. He relayed the news on his Twitter account.

Through somewhat of a miraculous process, this Free Agency period has been life changing for me. During a routine physical conducted by the Saint’s medical team down in New Orleans, I’ve come to learn that I have Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and will be stepping away from football (1/3)
— Foster Moreau (@fhmoreau) March 22, 2023

"Through somewhat of a miraculous process, this free agency period has been life changing for me. During a routine physical conducted by the Saints' medical team down in New Orleans, I've come to learn that I have Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and will be stepping away from football at this time to fight a new opponent: Cancer. I'm grateful for the support and thankful for people who have stood firm with me. There hasn't been a single step I've taken without hundreds of people lighting the path before me, and I will continue to seek their guidance," he wrote.

This is obviously terrible news for Moreau, but he seems to be handling it with optimism. After all, as he pointed out, who knows if he would have been able to catch the cancer had he not been a free agent and done an evaluation with the Saints?

If there is any good news, it's that the five-year relative survival rates for Hodgkin lymphoma can be as high as 93 percent depending on what stage the cancer is at when it is detected.

"I’ll go kick this thing’s a-s and get back to doing what I love," Moreau concluded.

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