Former Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals running back Chris Johnson revealed that he has been diagnosed with sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, at the age of 39.
Johnson announced the news Monday during an interview on Good Morning America, saying: “First, I want people to know that I am still me, ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn’t changed who I am.”
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He was first diagnosed in 2025 with ALS, the progressive neurodegenerative disorder commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It destroys motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, which stops the brain from sending signals to muscles, eventually leading to muscle weakness, paralysis, and respiratory failure.
“If sharing my story helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research, or gives another family hope, then it’s worth it,” Johnson said.
Johnson told GMA he was at the prime of his life, working out daily and running errands with his children, until ALS changed everything.
“I first noticed weakness in my right hand,” Johnson said. “At first it was little things like my grip didn’t feel right and I wasn’t as strong as I always have been.”
Prior to his diagnosis, Johnson spent a decade in the National Football League, rushing for 9,651 yards and 64 total touchdowns after the Titans selected him with the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Johnson is best remembered for his record-setting 2,509-yard season from scrimmage in 2009.
Johnson said that after thorough testing, doctors finally came to a diagnosis of ALS, notifying him that he should get his affairs in order.
“It was hard hearing that, but after watching Good Morning America and seeing Dr. Merit [Cudkowicz] with Eric Dane, we reached out to her.” he said.
Merit Cudkowicz is the director of the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, executive director of the Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute, and Julieanne Dorn Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. Dane was an actor who announced his diagnosis on GMA in April 2025 before dying Feb. 19 at age 53.
Cudkowicz revealed that Johnson has been on standard care, taking three different medications to slow down the illness, as well as being a part of a clinical trial.
“It’s a therapy that decreases inflammation, and I think that helped him a lot,” she said.
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Johnson revealed that there is no history of ALS in his family, adding that the diagnosis came as a shock and underscored how the disease can affect anyone.
“I don’t know if you ever fully process it,” Johnson said. “At first, you’re in shock, and then you realize that you have two choices: You can give up or you can fight. I chose to fight.”
