Former NFL star Chris Johnson reveals ALS diagnosis after months of testing
Former NFL running back Chris Johnson has shared that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, saying the condition has affected his physical abilities but not his identity.
Speaking in a pre-recorded interview that aired on Good Morning America on June 29, the former Tennessee Titans player said, “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.”
Johnson, 40, said he was diagnosed with ALS in 2025 at the age of 39 after noticing weakness in his right hand. He recalled that the first signs were subtle.
“At first it was little things like my grip didn't feel right, and I wasn't as strong as I'd always been,” he said.
His wife, Brittany, initially believed the symptoms might have been linked to the physical demands of his NFL career.
“I thought because of football and his career that it has to be something with that. Maybe a pinched nerve or something along those lines, but never ALS,” she said.
Johnson said doctors reached the diagnosis after several rounds of testing.
“We hoped it was something else, but after the third testing, they finally came down with a diagnosis of ALS,” he said. “They told us about a medication that might extend life by a few months. Then they told us to get our affairs in order.”
He added, “It was hard hearing that.”
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurological condition that damages nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, gradually affecting muscle control, including the ability to move, speak, swallow and eventually breathe.
According to his doctors, Johnson has sporadic ALS, the most common form of the disease, which develops in people with no known family history and accounts for about 90 percent of ALS cases.
“That’s one of the reasons this disease can be so shocking,” Johnson said. “It can happen to someone who never expected it.”
Known by the nickname "CJ2K," Johnson was regarded as one of the fastest running backs in NFL history. At the time he first noticed symptoms, he said he was exercising regularly and spending time with the four children he shares with Brittany.
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