Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson says he is battling ALS, now so advanced he can no longer speak. In an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America, Johnson described how it began with weakness in his right hand and how the disease progressed fas
Last February, Chris Johnson was out and about in the days leading into the Super Bowl. He felt fine then. Now, years removed from the NFL spotlight, he is fighting ALS—so far along that he can no longer speak.
Johnson revealed his condition in an interview with Michael Strahan on ABC’s Good Morning America. “First, I want people to know I’m still me,” Johnson said. “ALS has changed what my body can do. But it hasn’t changed who I am.”
He communicates with the help of a device controlled by his eyes. Shortly after his diagnosis, Johnson’s voice was recorded so the machine-generated speech can sound like him.
The first warning signs, he said, weren’t dramatic. They were subtle—weakness in his right hand. “At first it was little things, like my grip didn’t feel right,” Johnson said. “And I wasn’t as strong as I’ve always been.”
His wife, Brittany, initially wondered if the problem was something simpler—“a pinched nerve from his football career.” Tests followed, and once Johnson was diagnosed with ALS, the outlook turned bleak.
“They told us about a medication that might extend life by a few months,” Johnson said. “Then they told us to get our affairs in order. It was hard hearing that, but after watching Good Morning America and seeing Dr. Merit [Cudkowicz] with Eric Dane, we reached out to her. She was willing to think more creatively, offering experimental treatments that might help in advance research.”.
Johnson’s case has been described as “sporadic ALS,” which occurs randomly in people with no known family history of the disease. More than 90 percent of all ALS cases fall into that category.
Even with the disease moving faster than expected, Johnson said he is going public with a purpose. “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 said.
He said the progression has shocked him with its speed. “I want people to understand just how quickly ALS can attack your body,” he said. “Just over a year ago, I was picking up my seven-year-old daughter, so she’d make a wish with her birthday cake. Today, I couldn’t do that.”
For Johnson. the most important message may be the one his condition can’t erase: he wants people to understand that ALS doesn’t take the person inside his head. “Your mind stays sharp,” he said. “People sometimes look at the physical disability and assume you’re not still the same person inside. I still think the same. I still dream. I still love my family. My body just doesn’t cooperate.”.
Before ALS, Johnson was one of the NFL’s most dynamic offensive players. He was a first-round pick in 2008 and rushed for 2,006 yards in his second NFL season. That year. he set a record with more than 2. 500 yards from scrimmage and was named the NFL’s offensive player of the year. He previously told PFT Live in February 2025 that reaching 2,500 total yards was his proudest accomplishment.
Johnson finished a 10-year career in 2017 after a season with the Jets and three seasons with the Cardinals. Across his career, he gained nearly 12,000 yards from scrimmage.
Now, the fight is different—one without a cure in sight, but not without urgency. “Right now. there isn’t a cure. but we’re seeing more research. more clinical trials. and more promising ideas than ever before. ” Johnson said. “Seeing how hard these doctors and researchers are working gives me hope. “As long as they’re fighting for people with ALS, I’m going to keep fighting, too.”.
Johnson’s message lands with the weight of someone who has watched his life narrow in real time. And while he says his body doesn’t cooperate, his determination—on this new battlefield—has not changed.
We wish him the very best as he continues the fight. Here’s hoping that ongoing research eventually will lead to a cure for ALS.
Chris Johnson ALS former Titans running back Good Morning America Michael Strahan sporadic ALS Dr. Merit Cudkowicz Eric Dane NFL news