Chris Johnson says he was diagnosed with ALS in 2025 at age 39 and has already lost the ability to speak, using his eyes to control a voice machine during a painful Good Morning America interview.
Chris Johnson knew the broadcast would be different the moment he started trying to talk.
In a Good Morning America appearance on ABC. the former Tennessee Titans and New York Jets running back. now 40. revealed that he is battling ALS and that his condition has progressed so quickly he can no longer speak. Sitting beside his wife, Johnson used his eyes to operate a voice machine as his story unfolded.
“First, I want people to know that I’m still me,” he began. “ALS has changed what my body can do but it hasn’t changed who I am.”
The news landed hard with viewers. Fans had been teased about a major interview with fellow football icon Michael Strahan. but the reason for the segment became clear on Monday morning: the 2009 NFL Offensive Player of the Year is fighting a progressive neurological disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease—that slowly destroys motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord over time.
Johnson’s diagnosis came in 2025, when he was 39. By the time of the ABC interview, he had already lost the ability to speak, communicating by triggering the voice machine with his eyes.
When Strahan asked why Johnson chose to share his story now, Johnson answered with a simple goal that cut through the pain of the moment. “Because if sharing my story helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research or gives another family hope, then it’s worth it.”
Johnson described his life when the illness began. He said he was in what he calls the “prime of his life” when he received the diagnosis last year, working out every day and spending time with his wife and four children.
He also explained how the first signs showed up. “I first noticed weakness in my right hand,” Johnson said. “At first it was little things like, my grip didn’t feel right. And I wasn’t as strong as I’d always been.”
His wife Brittany added detail to how the changes began at home. She said she initially thought it might be something simpler—an injury tied to football, like a pinched nerve—before their world started to unravel.
Johnson’s NFL career ended in 2017 after three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, but his legacy stretches back further. He spent six seasons with Tennessee, earning the Pro Bowl three times and being named Offensive Player of the Year. After that run, he moved to the New York Jets.
In the interview, Johnson’s message kept returning to identity over decline: ALS may be taking away his ability to speak, but he insisted it has not changed who he is.
Chris Johnson ALS amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Lou Gehrig's disease Good Morning America Michael Strahan Tennessee Titans New York Jets Arizona Cardinals 2009 Offensive Player of the Year