Merril Hoge Announces He'll Take Time off from ESPN to Undergo Heart Surgery

ESPN analyst Merril Hoge announced Monday night on NFL Primetime that he'll take a leave of absence for health reasons, per Sporting News' Kirstie Chiappelli.

"I'm going to be gone—I'm taking a little bye week," Hoge said during the broadcast. "I'm going to have heart surgery, but I'll be back in a month, though."     

ESPN released a statement regarding Hoge's indefinite leave, per Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith:

"

Merril is having heart surgery to repair a vessel. The procedure has been planned for several weeks. His health is strong and he has great doctors. He expects to make a full recovery and will be out several weeks. We wish Merril a speedy recovery and look forward to having him back on our NFL coverage later this fall.

"

On Oct. 5, ESPN's Adam Schefter provided an update on Hoge after undergoing surgery: "Merril Hoge resting comfortably after successful open-heart surgery this morning. Expected to make full recovery. Our thoughts with him."

This isn't the first health scare for Hoge. Doctors diagnosed him with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2003, and he has since been declared cancer-free.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians tweeted out his support for Hoge:

ESPN colleague Mike Greenberg is also eagerly anticipating the next time he sees Hoge in Bristol, Connecticut:

Hoge played eight years in the NFL from 1987 to 1994. He spent seven of those years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he was a member of the Chicago Bears for a portion of the '94 campaign.

Hoge's broadcast career began not long after, as he joined ESPN in 1996. Since then, he has worked in a variety of roles—including as a sideline reporter and an Arena Football League announcer—before ultimately settling in his current position.