Overview
- Former NFL running back Chris Johnson disclosed his diagnosis in a Good Morning America interview that aired June 29, saying he was diagnosed with ALS last year and went public to share his story.
- Johnson told interviewers he first noticed weakness in his right hand in 2025 and received an ALS diagnosis at age 39 after further testing.
- The disease has progressed rapidly and Johnson can no longer speak; he now uses an eye-triggered speech-generating device programmed with recordings of his own voice to communicate.
- He is receiving standard-of-care medications and is participating in an experimental clinical trial overseen by Dr. Merit Cudkowicz at the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, and a fundraising effort in his honor has been established at that center.
- Johnson’s family and the Tennessee Titans have publicly offered support, and reporters note his case is described as sporadic ALS with no family history and no confirmed link to football; typical ALS survival after symptoms appears to be measured in years, which has focused attention on research and care needs.