Former NFL Star Chris Johnson Reveals ALS Diagnosis at 39

When a three-time Pro Bowl running back hears those words—you have ALS—a disease that will eventually rob him of his ability to move, speak, and breathe, what comes next? Chris Johnson chose to share his story.

On June 29, 2026, Johnson sat down with Michael Strahan on Good Morning America to announce his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnosis. The running back, who racked up over 11,000 total offensive yards in his NFL career, was 39 when doctors confirmed the diagnosis last year.

A first-round draft pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2008, Johnson first felt weakness creeping into his right hand. Testing revealed sporadic ALS—the form that accounts for most cases of the disease. His family had no history of it.

ALS is a progressive neurological condition that gradually strips away a person’s ability to move, speak, swallow, and breathe. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, typically within three to five years of symptom onset. But roughly one in ten patients live a decade or longer.

Johnson left football in 2017. Now he’s fighting back on multiple fronts. He takes three standard ALS medications designed to slow the disease’s advance and has enrolled in a clinical trial testing a therapy that reduces inflammation. His doctor estimates that medication might buy him a few extra months.

There’s still no cure for ALS, though some treatments can slow progression and improve quality of life. Johnson’s condition has reached the point where he relies on a speech-generating device. The device uses his own voice, recorded shortly after his diagnosis.

He’s a father of four. An initiative to fund ALS research in his name has been launched at the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS.