Study: 75% of deceased NFL players had CTE
The gist
A Boston University-led study estimated 74.5% of 2,362 NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 had CTE.
CTE is only diagnosable after death, so the figure is an adjusted best guess.
How it unfolded
- Aug 2026The same research group estimated that 25% to 98% of former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE, a wide range reflecting uncertainty about how representative brain donors were.
- Oct 28, 2026A study in JAMA Network Open by Boston University, Mass General Brigham and the Concussion & CTE Foundation estimated 74.5% of all 2,362 NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had CTE neuropathology.
- Oct 28, 2026Among 387 deceased NFL players whose brains were studied, 362 (94%) had some degree of CTE; researchers adjusted for the fact that players with cognitive symptoms were about five times likelier to donate brains.