Study finds high rates of brain disease in deceased NFL players
Researchers have found that as many as 97.7% of National Football League players who died between 2016 and 2021 could have had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, examined 878 former players, with brain donations from 235 revealing CTE in 215 cases.
By Source Reporters Newsdesk
Thu, 27 August 2026 · 1 min read
Researchers have found that as many as 97.7% of National Football League players who died between 2016 and 2021 could have had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, examined 878 former players, with brain donations from 235 revealing CTE in 215 cases.
The research indicates NFL players face a significantly higher risk of neurodegenerative disease than the general population, with lead author Daniel Daneshvar of Harvard Medical School noting a four times higher death rate from such conditions. Researchers calculated a conservative minimum CTE prevalence of 24.5% among deceased players in the six-year period.
These findings suggest previous studies may have underestimated CTE's prevalence in football, prompting calls for the NFL to implement prevention measures to reduce repetitive head impacts across all levels of the sport. CTE can only be diagnosed post-mortem and is associated with symptoms including memory loss, confusion, and progressive dementia.
The study adds to growing evidence about the long-term neurological risks of contact sports, with researchers urging continued investigation into prevention strategies and better protective equipment to mitigate head trauma risks for athletes.
**Sources:** BBC
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