Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
ALS is rare. These findings aren't.
Former NFL players who die before age 50 are 42 times more likely to die from ALS than men of the same age in the general population, according findings from the largest study ever conducted of mortality among NFL players. The study of nearly 20,000 former NFL players also found former NFL players overall are 4.5 times more likely to die from ALS than expected. The research was conducted by Mass General Brigham, Boston University, and the Concussion & CTE Foundation, and published last week in eClinicalMedicine, an open-access journal from The Lancet.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease that destroys the nerve cells controlling muscle movement. While ALS is uncommon in the general population, researchers say these findings provide the strongest evidence yet that former NFL players face a dramatically higher risk.
ALS is rare. These findings aren't.
Former NFL players who die before age 50 are 42 times more likely to die from ALS than men of the same age in the general population, according findings from the largest study ever conducted of mortality among NFL players. The study of nearly 20,000 former NFL players also found former NFL players overall are 4.5 times more likely to die from ALS than expected. The research was conducted by Mass General Brigham, Boston University, and the Concussion & CTE Foundation, and published last week in eClinicalMedicine, an open-access journal from The Lancet.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease that destroys the nerve cells controlling muscle movement. While ALS is uncommon in the general population, researchers say these findings provide the strongest evidence yet that former NFL players face a dramatically higher risk.
