A member of the Broncos coaching staff has stepped away from work to fight an aggressive form of cancer.
Denver passing game specialist Zack Grossi, who is in his third year on the Broncos’ staff, started chemotherapy this week after he was discovered to have a yolk sac tumor in his chest.
Grossi, 35, said in a message shared with the team’s website that he first started feeling off a few months ago.
From his message:
“For the last three months, I felt a little bit off, and recently, I began to have trouble breathing. Last week, I went to the Broncos’ medical staff, and they told me we needed to run several tests. I underwent bloodwork and a scan, and that’s when they found the tumor in my chest cavity.
“Officially, I have been diagnosed with a Yolk Sac Tumor.
“The diagnosis is scary, but the good news is it’s highly treatable. I began chemotherapy this week, and after a few more months of chemo, I’ll have surgery to remove the remaining tumor.
My approach isn’t so different than getting ready for a game. I’ll stay the course, keep working and keep grinding. Day by day is my motto. I have marching orders from my doctors, and I’m trusting the process.”
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Grossi works primarily with Denver’s wide receivers and has for the past three seasons. Before joining the Broncos staff in 2022, he worked in Louisiana at the college level at Southern University and A&M College and in 2019 as Hampton University’s quarterbacks coach. Grossi first worked in the NFL in 2014 as a scouting assistant for Tampa Bay and was with the Buccaneers in various capacities through the 2018 season.
Head coach Sean Payton in a statement said, “Our unwavering support is with Zack and his family as he takes some time away to focus on his health. Knowing what Zack is all about and talking with him since his diagnosis, I have no doubt he will Fight Like A Bronco. We’ll be with him every step of the way and can’t wait to welcome him back to our staff.”
Grossi said he doesn’t want to estimate when he might return to work, “but I can’t wait to get back to doing what I love.”
“After I was diagnosed, the outreach from (Broncos CEO) Greg Penner, Carrie Walton Penner and the Broncos was immediate,” he wrote. “The night of my scan, Greg texted me to tell me I had his and Carrie’s full support. From Sean Payton to (general manager) George Paton to (vice president of player health and performance) Beau Lowery, (athletic trainer) Vince Garcia, Dr. Steven Geraghty and Dr. Andrea Holland, the Broncos’ support was truly overwhelming. They have gone above and beyond, and it’s hard to put into words what it means to me.
“Everything they’ve done for me, my wife, Jacqueline, and my daughter, Sophia, has been first class. That includes the Broncos Family Network, which has been incredible to my wife.
There’s times — because of all the support — when I feel like the luckiest man in the world.”
We’re fully supporting Passing Game Specialist Zack Grossi as he starts treatment for a recent cancer diagnosis.
“As I begin my fight against cancer, I’ve found peace in knowing that I’m not alone.”
Grossi’s message » https://t.co/AwQBZdamdj#FightLikeABronco pic.twitter.com/3ZTCo6Qo9E
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 12, 2024
This story will be updated.
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