SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers linebackers coach Johnny Holland is stepping away from the team to battle cancer for the second time in the past three seasons.
Holland, who was initially diagnosed with multiple myeloma (a cancer of plasma cells) in 2019, released a statement revealing that the cancer has returned and he will be away from the 49ers beginning Sept. 6, to begin another round of treatment at nearby Stanford Medical Center and the University of California-San Francisco Medical Center.
"In sharing the details of my diagnosis, my desire is that I can be an advocate and beacon of hope for those who are battling cancer to help remind them that we're all in this together," Holland said in the statement.