GoKawiilBoston University study estimates 75% of deceased NFL players had CTE signs
A new study from Boston University's CTE Center, published in JAMA Network Open, estimates that 75% of professional football players who died over a 15-year period showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. About 27% of those players were estimated to have had dementia. The figure is three times higher than the group's own estimate from an August study covering a five-year span.
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Because CTE can currently only be diagnosed after death, researchers rely on statistical modeling rather than direct testing, which the study's lead author acknowledged produces a 'best guess' rather than a confirmed rate. The sharply rising estimates across successive studies could intensify scrutiny of football's long-term health risks and pressure on the NFL, which says it continues working to reduce head impacts, though the league has not commented on this specific figure.
- Study estimates 75% of deceased NFL players had CTE signs, the highest figure reported so far by this research group.
- About 27% of the same group of players were estimated to have had dementia.
- CTE cannot yet be diagnosed in living people, so researchers rely on statistical estimation methods.
Source: nbcnews.com — Kaitlin Sullivan, 2026-11-03
Published there as: “Study estimates 75% of NFL players who died over 15-year span had CTE”
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