A study published Tuesday by the British Medical Journal found that at least one in four former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
CTE is a progressive, degenerative brain disease linked to repeated blows and head impacts. The rate found among these former players is much higher than what is seen in the general population.
Researchers stated that the actual prevalence of the disease may be much higher than the figures reported.