Health
Study: Estimated 75% of NFL players who died 2008–2023 had CTE
October 29, 2026 at 12:03 AM
Coverage
3 reports · over 8 hours
ESESPN
Study: Estimated 75% of NFL players that died between 2008-'23 had CTE
(opens the publisher’s site)
TGThe Guardian
New study estimates 75% of deceased ex-NFL players had brain disease CTE
(opens the publisher’s site)
CNCNN
New study suggests 3 in 4 former NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 had CTE
(opens the publisher’s site)A JAMA Network Open study published Wednesday estimates about three-quarters of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
- The Boston University and Mass General Brigham researchers analyzed 2,362 deceased players, with 93.5% of 396 donated brains showing CTE.
- The researchers cautioned the estimate applies only to deceased players and does not predict CTE rates among living players, noting the disease is currently diagnosable only after death.
- About 27% of the studied players had dementia; separately, less than 1% of community-based brain bank samples contain evidence of CTE.
- The NFL said it "continuously strives to make the game of football safer," and the NFL Players Association called such studies critical to understanding football's long-term impacts.