Study Estimates CTE in About Three-Quarters of Deceased Former NFL Players
A new study published in JAMA Network Open by Boston University researchers estimates that approximately 3 in 4 former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Missoula, MT, October 28, 2026 —
A study by Boston University researchers estimates that approximately three in four former National Football League players who died between 2008 and 2023 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
The estimate concerns former NFL players who died during the specified 15-year period. It does not describe all former players, including those who are living, and should not be read as an estimate of CTE prevalence across the entire former-player population.
The information available about the study does not include the number of players examined, the researchers’ methods, or details about how CTE was identified. It also does not provide a comparison group or further breakdowns of the results. Those details are necessary to assess how the estimate was produced and what limits the researchers reported.
The finding is presented as an estimate, rather than a count of every former NFL player who had CTE. The summary of the study does not specify whether the estimate reflects a particular subset of deceased players or how the researchers addressed the possibility that the players examined differed from others who died during the same period.
Based on the information provided, the central finding is limited to the reported proportion among former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023. No additional conclusions about the causes of CTE, individual players, or the condition’s prevalence among living former athletes are included in the study summary.
Story summarized from the original created by Diana Anos, Nadia Kounang on www.kpax.com, see more information here.