Study Finds CTE in 75% of Deceased NFL Players, Raising Alarm

WHO:

EssentiallySports - Brett Favre urged people to pay attention to CTE in an Instagram post and wrote, “I can’t ignore this.”

EssentiallySports - Researchers from Boston University, Mass General Brigham, and the Concussion & CTE Foundation conducted the study.

EssentiallySports - Former New York Giants player Tyler Sash was later found to have CTE after his family donated his brain for examination.

Sportskeeda - Mike Vrabel, described as a former player, commented on a study about CTE among NFL players.

Fox News - The study concerns deceased NFL players.

Pro Football Network - The study concerns deceased former NFL players and prompted reactions from the NFL world.

WHAT:

EssentiallySports - The study analyzed 2,362 former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023; 74.5% had CTE. Among 387 brain donors with available findings, 362, or 93.5%, were confirmed to have CTE.

EssentiallySports - Favre wrote that the findings “can’t predict what happens to those of us still living,” but “that number should get everybody’s attention.” He said he played 20 seasons and took “more hits than I can count.”

EssentiallySports - Favre said Sash won a Super Bowl as a rookie, had his career cut short by concussions, and died at 27. Favre cited Sash’s story and the documentary *Concussed: The American Dream* as reasons to provide players, parents, and coaches with information about CTE.

EssentiallySports - The Giants released Sash after he suffered a concussion in a preseason game against the New England Patriots.

EssentiallySports - Favre disclosed a Parkinson’s diagnosis and said doctors had suggested head trauma could be a possible factor if there were no family history of the disease. The article notes that his diagnosis does not establish a link to CTE.

Fox News - A study of more than 2,300 deceased NFL players estimated that roughly 75% had at least some degree of CTE, a degenerative brain disease.

Sportskeeda - Vrabel made a comment about the study: “You're going to do whatever you can to play the game.”

Pro Football Network - The estimate that nearly 75% of deceased former NFL players had CTE sparked strong reactions and renewed questions about football’s future.

Sportskeeda - The article says the NFL has worked for years to manage CTE-related concerns.

WHY:

Fox News - CTE is linked to repeated head trauma in football.

Pro Football Network - The study’s estimate prompted renewed questions about the future of football.

HOW:

EssentiallySports - CTE can currently be confirmed only after death, through postmortem brain examination.

Fox News - The study examined more than 2,300 deceased NFL players and estimated the prevalence of CTE among them.

A study found CTE in roughly three-quarters of more than 2,300 deceased NFL players. Brett Favre urged people to pay attention, saying the findings should concern everyone. Former player Mike Vrabel said players will do whatever they can to keep playing.