Chris Johnson, Former NFL Star, Announces ALS Diagnosis

Chris Johnson, one of the few players to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single NFL season, says he has been diagnosed with ALS.

The 39-year-old made the announcement during an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America. He spoke to the show’s co-anchor Michael Strahan, a former NFL player himself, using a speech device.

“There’s no history of ALS in my family,” said Johnson. “My doctors believe my case is what’s called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases happen. That’s one of the reasons this disease can be so shocking. It can happen to someone who never expected it.”

Johnson was a three-time Pro Bowler during his 10-season NFL career and was named the league’s offensive player of the year in 2009 when he rushed for 2,006 yards, the seventh-most in history. He played for the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals in the NFL. He was a first-round pick for the Titans in 2008 after a standout college career at East Carolina.

ALS, a type of motor neurone disease, causes paralysis and eventually death; there is no known cure. A number of athletes in contact sports have developed the disease including former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason and rugby stars Rob Burrow, Doddie Weir and Lewis Moody.

Johnson said he was diagnosed in 2025 after noticing he was losing strength in his grip.

“Honestly, I don’t know if you ever fully process it,” he said of the diagnosis. “At first, you’re in shock. Then you realize you have two choices. You can give up, or you can fight. I chose to fight.”

Johnson said he was talking about his diagnosis to raise awareness of the disease.

“I want people to know that I’m still me. ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn’t changed who I am,” he said. “People sometimes look at the physical disability and assume you’re not still the same person inside. I still think the same. I still dream. I still love my family. My body just doesn’t cooperate.”

Titans owner Amy Strunk paid tribute to Johnson in a statement, complimenting his “leadership on the field, in addition to his impact in the locker room … the Nashville community have written him permanently into the story of this franchise.”