In June 2026, former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson revealed that he had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). A progressive nervous system disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The news has left the sports world stunned.
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Chris Johnson Questions In Football Career Led to ALS
As a result of the disease, Johnson can no longer talk. But he can still communicate by writing. The former star running back recently penned a letter to his kids in The Player's Tribune. In part of the letter, Johnson dives into whether he believes that his football career played a role in him acquiring the disease.
"I've seen a lot of neurologists at this point and been to basically every major ALS clinic in the country, and in my experience, as soon as you say you played football it's like, 'Ahh, OK,'" Johnson writes. "Almost like an understanding, you know? I read one study, and from my understanding, it found that former NFL players were nearly four times as likely to develop and pass away from ALS compared with the U.S. male population overall. That was a shock. And to be clear, your dad's not an expert, and that's just one.
ALS is a progressive nervous system disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The condition, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, targets motor neurons, the nerve cells that control muscle movements like walking, talking, and breathing. The disease worsens over time and ultimately affects the muscles needed to swallow and breathe.
Johnson goes on to say that he understood the risks involved with having an NFL career. He also says that he has no regrets about deciding to go pro.
"Still, I look back at it all with nothing but gratitude for the opportunity to have played this game at the highest level for 10 years," he added. "And I was ME all the way. Your dad was always just CJ. Straight up. Gold teeth and all. From draft night to the very last snap. So I wouldn't trade that journey for anything. Football gave your dad a platform. And now, I'm in a position to use it in a way I never expected."
