Tennessee Titans legend Chris Johnson reveals devastating ALS diagnosis

Mark Mihalko, Titans WireMon, June 29, 2026 at 1:32 PM UTC

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When news broke that former Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals running back Chris Johnson would be joining Michael Strahan on Good Morning America for an interview, many fans feared the worst. Unfortunately, those fears came to fruition.

On Monday, the former Titans great and 2009 NFL Offensive Player of the Year revealed the heartbreaking news that he is battling ALS at the young age of 39.

For those not familiar with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, it's a devastating neurological disease that slowly destroys motor functions in the brain and spinal cord, and over time becomes debilitating. And as the interview demonstrated, the effects are devastating.

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Diagnosed in 2025, Johnson, who was joined by his wife, has already lost the ability to speak and had to use his eyes to manipulate a voice machine to conduct the interview with Strahan. Johnson took some time to explain the disease and the enervating effects of suffering from ALS, and unfortunately, left fans saddened by the reality of the diagnosis. But he also proved he will not give up without a fight.

“First, I want people to know that I'm still me,” he said. “ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn't changed who I am.”

Johnson continues to be remembered as one of the most explosive running backs in NFL history and one of the greatest Tennessee Titans, and there is no doubt that NFL fans everywhere will have Johnson in their thoughts from this day forward.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans legend Chris Johnson reveals devastating ALS diagnosis

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