Study Finds CTE in About Three-Quarters of Deceased Former NFL Players
A new study suggests that approximately 3 in 4 former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Cleveland Akron, OH, October 28, 2026 —
A new study suggests that approximately three-quarters of former National Football League players who died between 2008 and 2023 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. The reported finding concerns former players who died during that period; it does not establish how common the condition is among all former NFL players.
The available summary does not provide the study’s authors, publication, number of players examined, or the methods used to determine whether they had CTE. It also does not describe how the players were selected or provide a comparison group. Without those details, the finding cannot be assessed beyond the limited description provided.
The reported proportion is approximately three in four, rather than an exact figure. The summary does not state the number of people represented by that estimate, so the underlying count is not available. It also does not provide information about the players’ careers, health histories, or other characteristics.
The study’s reported result should therefore be understood within its stated scope: former NFL players who died from 2008 through 2023. It does not, on the information available, show that the same proportion of living former players has CTE, nor does it establish a rate for every person who has played professional football.
Further details about the study, including its sample size and procedures, were not provided in the summary. Those details would be necessary to explain how the estimate was reached and what conclusions the researchers drew beyond the reported proportion.
Story summarized from the original created by Diana Anos, Nadia Kounang on www.news5cleveland.com, see more information here.
