Former NFL Star Chris Johnson Reveals ALS Diagnosis at 39, Uses a Computer to Speak
Mon, June 29, 2026 at 9:48 AM EDT
Chris Johnson revealed his ALS diagnosis on Good Morning America and shared how the disease has progressed rapidly
Johnson, diagnosed at 39, noticed symptoms like hand weakness while living an active life with his wife and four kids
Despite the prognosis, Johnson remains hopeful, credits his family for his strength and advocates for ALS awareness
Former NFL running back Chris Johnson is revealing heartbreaking health news.
The former Tennessee Titans star, 40, said on Good Morning America that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the progressive neurogenerative disorder for which there is no cure.
“I want people to know that I'm still me,” Chris told Michael Strahan in a pre-taped interview that aired June 29. “ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn't changed who I am.”
Chris, one of the fastest running backs in NFL history who was nicknamed “CJ2K,” was diagnosed with ALS in 2025 at age 39, after first noticing weakness in his right hand. At the time, he was in the prime of his life, exercising daily and spending time with the four children he shares with wife Brittany.
“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 recalled.
Brittany initially suspected the symptoms were related to the wear and tear of his time in the NFL. “I thought because of football and his career that it has to be something with that,” she said. “Maybe a pinched nerve or something along those lines, but never ALS.”
After multiple rounds of testing, Chris said doctors ultimately delivered the diagnosis he and his family feared.
“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.”
“It was hard hearing that,” he added.
ALS — known also as Lou Gehrig’s disease — causes nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to die, leading to a degeneration of muscle control that depletes the ability to move, speak, swallow and eventually, breathe.
According to Chris' doctors, he has sporadic ALS, the most common form of the disease, which occurs in people with no known family history. Sporadic ALS accounts for roughly 90% of cases.
“That’s one of the reasons this disease can be so shocking,” Chris said. “It can happen to someone who never expected it.”
Dr. Merritt Cudkowicz, a neurologist at Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute who worked with actor Eric Dane before his death from ALS this year, is working with Chris. In addition to standard ALS medications, Chris participated in a clinical trial focused on reducing inflammation.
“Chris has been on standardized care, which is about three different medications a month to slow down the illness,” Cudkowicz said. “But he was also part of a clinical trial of therapy that decreases inflammation. And I think that helped him a lot.”
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Still, in the year since Chris' diagnosis, the disease has progressed so rapidly that he now uses a speech-generating device controlled by his eyes to communicate. Before he lost his ability to speak, doctors recorded his voice, allowing the device to sound like him.
“It's continued to progress much faster than I ever imagined,” he said. “I want people to understand just how quickly ALS can attack your body. Just over a year ago I was picking up my 7-year-old daughter so she could make a wish with her birthday cake. Today, I couldn't do that.”
While his physical abilities have dramatically changed, Chris said he wants people to understand that the disease has not changed who he is.
“My mind stays sharp,” he said. “People sometimes look at the physical disability and assume you're not the same person. I still think the same. I still dream. I still love my family. My body just doesn't cooperate.”
Despite the grim prognosis, Chris said he decided early on that he would keep fighting. “Honestly, I don't know if you ever fully process it,” he said. “At first you're in shock, then you realize you have two choices: you can give up, or you can fight. I chose to fight.”
“If sharing my story helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research or gives another family hope, then it's worth it,” Chris said when asked why he chose to go public with his diagnosis now.
For Brittany, the diagnosis immediately brought concerns about their children. “All I could think about was our kids and how young they are,” she said. “You're in denial. You want it to be anything else. You want the doctors to be wrong.”
“The life that we previously had is now a thing of the past,” she continued. “But we're still hopeful. We're hopeful that a breakthrough will happen or that God, a miracle will happen.”
Chris credited his wife and children with helping him endure the disease's rapid progression. “She hasn't left my side through any of this,” he said.
“My kids are also a huge part of why I keep going,” Chris continued. “Every day I wake up wanting more time with them, to make more memories and just be their dad. They give me a reason to keep fighting.”
Brittany acknowledged the challenges of becoming her husband's primary caregiver. “It's tough,” she told Strahan. “We have good days, we have bad days. Our life has shifted so much and it's a heavy workload, but I have no doubt that this is what I was called to do.”
Though there is currently no cure for ALS, Chris said ongoing research and clinical trials give him hope.
“Seeing how hard these doctors and researchers are working gives me hope," Chris said. "As long as they're fighting for people with ALS, I'm going to keep fighting too.”