Former Tennessee Titans and New York Jets running back Chris Johnson has revealed he is battling ALS in a heartbreaking interview on Good Morning America.
The 2009 NFL Offensive Player of the Year had teased a big interview with fellow football icon Michael Strahan on ABC, but fans were left stunned on Monday morning when the reason for the broadcast was revealed.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – which is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease – is a progressive neurological disease that slowly destroys motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord over time.
Johnson – who was one of the fastest running backs in NFL history – was only diagnosed in 2025 at the age of 39, but has already lost the ability to speak, using his eyes to trigger a voice machine as he sat alongside his wife for the ABC interview.
‘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.’
His rapid decline left fans in tears as they watched him explain his diagnosis and the subsequent effects on his body.
NFL icon Chris Johnson can no longer speak, a year on from being diagnosed with ALS
Johnson was diagnosed in 2025 and now uses his eyes to trigger a voice machine to speak
When asked why he had chosen now to share his story, Johnson revealed: ‘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.’
The ex-NFL star was in what he describes as the ‘prime of his life’ when he received the diagnosis last year, and had been working out every day and spending time with his wife and four children.
Johnson is still just 40 years old and only ended his professional career in 2017 after three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
He is best known for his six seasons in Tennessee, when he was voted to the Pro Bowl three times and won the Offensive Player of the Year award, before he moved to the New York Jets.
More to follow.
