A new study from Boston University, published Wednesday in Jama Network Open, estimates that approximately 75% of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This figure, which suggests that three out of four retired professional football players most likely had the disease at death, is the highest estimation to date.
The research, conducted by a Boston-based team, examined 2,362 players over a 15-year span. Using statistical techniques, the study analyzed the prevalence of CTE, a neurodegenerative brain disease tied to high-impact sports.
The findings indicate that the estimated rate of CTE among these former players was substantially higher than the rates observed in brain samples collected from the general population.