Study Estimates CTE in About Three-Quarters of Deceased Former NFL Players
A new study published in JAMA Network Open estimates that approximately three in four former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Researchers adjusted data from brain donations and death records to account for…
Billings, MT, October 28, 2026 —
A study published in JAMA Network Open estimates that approximately three in four former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
The estimate is based on researchers’ analysis of brain-donation data and death records. The researchers adjusted the data to account for potential bias in brain banks, a factor that could affect how representative donated brains are of the broader group being studied. After those adjustments, the estimated prevalence was higher than previously estimated for this demographic.
The finding concerns former NFL players who died during the 15-year period, rather than all former players. It is an estimate derived from the study’s adjusted data and should not be read as a measured rate among every person who played in the league. The summary of the study does not provide the number of people included, the precise estimate, or details of the adjustment method.
The study addresses a challenge in interpreting brain-donation research: people whose brains are donated may not represent all members of the population under study. By incorporating death records and accounting for potential brain-bank bias, the researchers sought to produce a prevalence estimate that better reflects the group they examined.
The summary does not specify the researchers’ names, describe the study’s full methods, or provide additional findings. It also does not establish that the estimate applies to current players or to people outside the former NFL player group studied. The reported result is a higher adjusted estimate of CTE prevalence among former players who died between 2008 and 2023 than earlier estimates for this demographic.
Story summarized from the original created by Diana Anos, Nadia Kounang on www.ktvq.com, see more information here.
