Chris Johnson Admits Possible Link Between Football, ALS Diagnosis

Nov 28, 2010; Houston, TX, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson (28) on the sidelines against the Houston Texans in the fourth quarter at Reliant Stadium. The Texans defeated the Titans 20-0. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports© Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Chris Johnson Admits Possible Link Between Football, ALS Diagnosis

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Sep 10, 2026 3:51 PM ET

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With the NFL season officially underway, former Tennessee Titans star Chris Johnson has released a heartfelt letter on The Players’ Tribune.

Johnson, a three-time Pro Bowler with 9,651 career rushing yards, announced this summer on “Good Morning America” that he’s been battling ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. People criticized Michael Strahan for not bringing up a potential link between ALS and football.

“We know by now through studies that there is a correlation between playing football and ALS. A much higher percentage of people who play football, specifically in the NFL, wind up with ALS than the general population. It is a known thing. The number of times Michael Strahan, a former football player, asks Chris Johnson about this? Zero. The number of times Good Morning America brings this up? Zero. It is so (expletive) irresponsible and grotesque,” former Sports Illustrated writer and author Jeff Pearlman said.

“Chris Johnson is dying and he showed up on Good Morning America to tell his story, and Michael Strahan, one of the great cowards on TV in my opinion, sits there and pretends, oh, this is heartbreaking, it’s so sad, I can’t believe this is happening to you, and doesn’t have the courage and the decency and the wherewithal to mention the ties between football and ALS.”

Johnson, 40, acknowledged a study that claims NFL players are more likely to develop ALS than the rest of the male population.

“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.’ 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,” Johnson wrote. “That was a shock. And to be clear, your dad’s not an expert, and that’s just one study, and there might be other environmental factors at play. Anybody can get ALS.”

CJ2K will be honored this Sunday.

The Titans will officially induct Johnson into their ring of honor during halftime of their season opener against the New York Jets.

“Chris Johnson holds a special place in the hearts of our organization and our fans,” said Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk. “His stats speak for themselves, and he will forever remain a leader in our record books, but the man behind the yardage deserves just as much celebration. We look forward to welcoming him home on Sept. 13 and officially inducting him into the Titans Ring of Honor.”

There’s no question Johnson’s legacy in Nashville will live on for years to come.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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