Chris Johnson ALS Diagnosis Revealed As Former NFL Star Says, “I Chose To Fight”
Former NFL star Chris Johnson is opening up about a private battle that has changed nearly every part of his daily life.
The former Tennessee Titans running back, known to football fans as “CJ2K,” revealed Monday on “Good Morning America” that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Johnson, 40, sat down with Michael Strahan alongside his wife, Brittany, and shared that he was diagnosed in 2025 at age 39 after first noticing weakness in his right hand. Since then, the disease has progressed quickly. Johnson now communicates using a speech-generating device controlled by his eyes.
“If sharing my story helps one person get diagnosed sooner or inspires more research, or gives another family hope, then it’s worth it,” Johnson said.
“Just Over A Year Ago I Was Picking Up My Daughter”
For Johnson, the diagnosis has been especially difficult because of how quickly ALS has affected his body.
“Just over a year ago I was picking up my 7-year-old daughter so she could make a wish with her birthday cake,” he told Strahan. “Today, I couldn’t do that.”
Johnson said he went through three rounds of testing before receiving the diagnosis. What followed was the kind of conversation no family is ever ready to hear.
“They told us about a medication that might extend life by a few months,” Johnson said. “Then they told us to get our affairs in order.”
“It was hard hearing that,” he added.
ALS is a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Over time, it can rob people of the ability to move, speak, swallow and breathe. There is currently no cure.
Johnson’s doctors determined he has sporadic ALS, the most common form of the disease. It occurs in people with no known family history.
“There’s no history of ALS in my family,” Johnson said. “My doctors believe my case is what’s called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases happen.”
Brittany Johnson Speaks On Caregiving And Family
Johnson’s wife, Brittany, said the diagnosis immediately made her think about their children.
“All I could think about was our kids and how young they are,” she said. “You’re in denial. You want it to be anything else. You want the doctors to be wrong.”
Brittany also spoke honestly about becoming a caregiver while trying to hold their family together through an unimaginable shift.
“It’s tough,” she said.
“We have good days, we have bad days,” she continued. “Our life has shifted so much and it’s a heavy workload, but I have no doubt that this is what I was called to do.”
Chris Johnson Says ALS Has Not Changed Who He Is
Johnson is now working with Dr. Merritt Cudkowicz, a neurologist at Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute. His care has included standard ALS medications and participation in a clinical trial focused on reducing inflammation.
Before Johnson lost the ability to speak, doctors recorded his voice so his speech-generating device could still sound like him. That detail carries weight because Johnson said he wants people to understand that while ALS has changed his body, it has not taken his identity.
“My mind stays sharp,” he said. “People sometimes look at the physical disability and assume you’re not the same person. I still think the same. I still dream. I still love my family. My body just doesn’t cooperate.”
Johnson spent 10 seasons in the NFL after the Tennessee Titans selected him in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He became one of the most explosive running backs of his generation and earned the nickname “CJ2K” after rushing for more than 2,000 yards during the 2009 season.
Now, Johnson said his fight looks different, but it is still a fight.
“As long as they’re fighting for people with ALS, I’m going to keep fighting too,” he said.
“I want people to know that I’m still me,” Johnson added. “ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn’t changed who I am.”
