Health & Science · October 28, 2026
Three-quarters of NFL football players may end up with CTE
A new study conducted by Boston University researchers and published in JAMA Network Open estimates that nearly 75% of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). While previous studies reported findings as high as 99% among brain donors, this new research attempted to account for selection bias—where families are more likely to donate the brains of players already showing symptoms. The study compared findings from 362 players diagnosed with CTE among 387 donors against the total population of 2,362 deceased players from that period, finding the prevalence to be significantly higher than the less than 1% typically found in community brain banks.
Read the original coverage
- CBS NewsMainstream
CTE study finds nearly 75% of ex-NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 had brain disease
Read at CBS News ↗ - The GuardianMainstream
New study estimates 75% of deceased ex-NFL players had brain disease CTE
Read at The Guardian ↗ - Science NewsNonprofit
Three-quarters of NFL football players may end up with CTE
Read at Science News ↗
Reported by multiple outlets
- The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
- Researchers from Boston University led the study.
- The study estimated that approximately 75% of NFL players who died during the study period had CTE.
- CTE is a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head.
- CTE can only be definitively diagnosed after death.
- Previous estimates were potentially skewed by selection bias because donors were more likely to have symptoms.
Reported by only some outlets
- The study period was 2008-2023 (16 years according to CBS News and Science News; 15 years according to The Guardian).
- The analysis included records from 2,362 deceased former NFL players.
- Out of 387 brains donated for the study, 362 (93.5%) were found to have CTE.
- The average time spent in the NFL for the players analyzed was five years.
What the evidence actually shows
The study estimated a 75% prevalence of CTE among all deceased NFL players from 2008-2023 by adjusting for selection bias in brain donations. Among the actual donated samples, 93.5% (362 of 387) had the disease, which is significantly higher than the <1% prevalence found in general community brain banks.
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