Medical study reveals high prevalence of CTE in retired NFL players
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 5, 2026, 5:47 PM
Last updated Sep 5, 2026
A medical study published this week in The BMJ reports a significant prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy among former NFL players. Researchers from Mass General Brigham, Boston University, and the Concussion & CTE Foundation analyzed 878 former players who died between 2016 and 2021, identifying positive CTE findings in 215 of 235 brains donated for research. While the study indicates a floor of approximately 25% prevalence within that group, experts estimate the true rate could reach nearly 98% when accounting for selection bias. This data arrives alongside a shift in player decisions regarding career length, exemplified by the recent retirement of running back Nick Chubb at age 30. The league stated it continues to work on player safety measures as the 2026 season prepares for kickoff on September 9.
- •Researchers identified CTE in 215 of 235 examined brains from former NFL players.
- •The study analyzed deaths occurring between 2016 and 2021.
- •Running back Nick Chubb retired at age 30 following an eight-season career.
- •The 2026 NFL season begins September 9 with the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
- 5:47 PMYahoo Sports — New CTE Study Delivers Sobering Reality Check on Long-Term Health Risks for NFL Players
"As NFL teams close out the 2026 preseason and turn toward opening weekend, a new medical study is forcing a harder look at what football costs its players long after the final whistle. Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, a Harvard Medical School researcher, has spent years tracing the link between repeated head impacts and brain disease in […] The post New CTE Study Delivers Sobering Reality Check on Long-Term Health Risks for NFL Players appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.
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