Shocking New Health Study Proves The NFL Has A Serious Problem

This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) remains a major issue in contact sports and leagues, especially the NFL. Over the years, the threat of the disease has increased, and the league has tried to make changes to protect players.

They haven’t fully eliminated the problem, but players have used some of the tools the competition has provided. Even so, the danger is still there. Alphonso Smith died in September, with his family saying that CTE played a factor in his passing.

Former safety Cedric Thompson opened up and told fans that he suspected he had CTE after taking over 6,000 hits during his career. A bombshell CTE study put the disease in the spotlight again with its alarming findings.

Researchers Call The Findings Concerning

A study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open by researchers at Boston University, Mass General Brigham and the Concussion & CTE Foundation, found that 75% of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023had the neurodegenerative brain disease.

Part of the group had published a paper in August, which estimated one in four former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE.

Julia Gallini, the lead author on the paper, labeled the number as “concerning.” She explained that families need more support while demanding more changes, including diagnosing CTE during life and treating its related symptoms.

“Many cases may have been early stage at the time of death and possibly symptom free,” the paper added.

Symptoms include suicidal thoughts, memory loss, and depression. Unfortunately, the disease can only be diagnosed after death.