The life of an NFL insider is grueling even when you’re in the best of health, so it’s understandible that one would want to prioritize their focus when health is an issue.
Jeff Howe, The Athletic’s NFL national insider, announced Thursday that he will “take time away from work” to deal with a “serious health issue.”
“Hey everyone, I’ve been privately battling a serious health issue for the past year and a half, and I’ve made a difficult but necessary decision to take time away from work for more aggressive treatment,” Howe wrote on X. “My hope is to return before the end of the regular season, but I’m not thinking much about that at the moment. Right now, I just need to get better.
“I’ve been open and honest about my health battles in the past, so I apologize for being coy about this. Hopefully, as soon as I’m ready, I’ll share more about this journey. But again, that’s for another time.
“… This has been the most difficult year of my life, and I can’t be too proud to ask for your support.”
Hey everyone, I’ve been privately battling a serious health issue for the past year and a half, and I’ve made a difficult but necessary decision to take time away from work for more aggressive treatment.
My hope is to return before the end of the regular season, but I’m not thinking much about that at the moment. Right now, I just need to get better.
I’ve been open and honest about my health battles in the past, so I apologize for being coy about this. Hopefully, as soon as I’m ready, I’ll share more about this journey. But again, that’s for another time.
For now, I’ll eagerly welcome any encouraging thoughts, prayers, vibes or whatever else you can send my way. This has been the most difficult year of my life, and I can’t be too proud to ask for your support.
I’ve always been a fighter, and I need to keep swinging. This has been a battle in every sense of the word.
Take care of yourselves. I’ll be back soon.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) October 15, 2026
Howe joined The Athletic in 2018 as part of an influx of Boston writers when the site launched in that market and is the author of “If These Walls Could Talk: New England Patriots.”
While Howe didn’t discuss the specifics of his current health issues, he has discussed others in the past.
In November 2018, Howe wrote a personal essay detailing a health scare where doctors believed there was a high likelihood he had thyroid cancer following a series of tests that started in September. Test results eventually came back negative.
The post NFL insider Jeff Howe stepping away from The Athletic for treatment of serious health issue appeared first on Awful Announcing.