Former NFL running back Chris Johnson reveals ALS diagnosis

Marina WattsMon, June 29, 2026 at 3:43 PM UTC

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Chris Johnson reveals ALS diagnosis on 'Good Morning America'Credit: Good Morning AmericaKey Points -

Former NFL star Chris Johnson has been diagnosed with ALS.

"At first, you're in shock. Then you realize you have two choices. You can give up, or you can fight. I chose to fight," Johnson, who retired in 2017, said on Good Morning America.

Johnson, 40, now uses a speech-generating device in order to communicate.

Chris Johnson has been diagnosed with ALS.

The former NFL star revealed that he had been diagnosed with the illness, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, in 2025 in an interview with Good Morning Americathat aired Monday. Johnson, 40, previously played for the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals and retired in 2017.

Since his retirement, he worked out daily and spent time with his wife and four kids.

"I first noticed weakness in my right hand," he told GMA coanchor Michael Strahan of the first symptom he noticed. "At first, it was little things like my grip didn't feel right and I wasn't as strong as I've always been."

Chris Johnson on 'Good Morning America'Credit: Good Morning America

His wife, Brittany Johnson, assumed the sensation was football-related after his NFL career. "Maybe ... a pinched nerve or something along those lines, but never ALS," she admitted.

When he was diagnosed with ALS last year, he said it was a "shock." "Honestly, I don't know if you ever fully process it," the former NFL star admitted.

"At first, you're in shock. Then you realize you have two choices. You can give up, or you can fight. I chose to fight."

Johnson noted that he had no family history of ALS. "My doctors believe my case is what's called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases happen. That's one of the reasons this disease can be so shocking. It can happen to someone who never expected it."

After he was diagnosed, Johnson recorded his voice and now uses a device that generates speech in order to communicate. ALS impacts the ability to speak.

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"It's continued to progress much faster than I ever imagined. 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 7-year-old daughter so she'd make a wish with her birthday cake. Today, I couldn't do that."

The father of four is participating in a clinical trial that has helped slow down ALS. Despite this, the disease has still progressed enough that he is unable to hold a cup, and he emphasized the importance of being diagnosed early.

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"I can't even hold a cup if I try, and that's despite being diagnosed relatively early and doing everything we can, including participating in multiple experimental treatments," Johnson said. "That's why early detection, more research, and better treatments are so important. We have to give people a better chance than what's available today."

Johnson's wife and kids give him "a reason to keep fighting." "Every day I wake up wanting more time with them to make more memories and just be their dad."

Tennessee Titans player Chris Johnson during a game against the Houston Texans in Nashville in December 2013Credit: Wesley Hitt/Getty

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS, is a disease that affects the nervous system cells in the brain and spinal cord, per the Mayo Clinic. It leads to muscle weakness over time and can start with symptoms such as muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, trouble swallowing, or slurred speech.

Eventually, ALS affects the muscles needed for movement, speaking, eating, and breathing. There is currently no known cure for ALS.

Watch Chris Johnson's full interview on Good Morning America below.

on Entertainment Weekly

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