The NFL's 4-Times Higher ALS Risk Is Real, And Good Morning America Totally Missed The Point
Okay, 12s, we gotta talk about something serious that just dropped. Former NFL running back Chris Johnson, a beast on the field, just went public with his ALS diagnosis. That's heavy, right? But here's the kicker, the part that's got me scratching my head and honestly, a little fired up: When he shared his story on Good Morning America, they totally whiffed on the one thing that connects it all back to the game we love. Seriously, they left out the massive elephant in the room about ALS and football. You gotta be kidding me!
It's Not a Secret, Folks, It's Science!
Seriously, how do you even miss this? The link between ALS and football isn't some wild conspiracy theory, folks. It's been established. We're not talking about some fringe theory, but a connection so undeniable, so concrete, that the NFL's own unlimited concussion settlement fund literally built it into its rules. Think about that! Kicking off on July 7, 2014, this fund automatically qualifies retired players with specific conditions for "no-questions-asked compensation." And guess what? ALS is right there on that list, clear as day. It's sitting there with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, early and moderate dementia, and those tough-to-diagnose CTE cases found after death. The league knows this. They put their money where the research is. So when a major TV segment on a national platform doesn't even whisper about it, you have to wonder what the heck is going on.
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Four Times Higher? That's Not a "Pinched Nerve!"
And if you needed any more proof, any undeniable evidence that this is a serious football problem, get this: A massive, legitimate study came out in 2021. This wasn't some small sample size. They looked at 19,423 NFL athletes, practically every single player who debuted between 1960 and 2019 and played at least one professional game. The results? Absolutely jarring. The risks of developing ALS for these players were found to be nearly four times as high as for someone in the general population. Think about that for a second. FOUR TIMES! Johnson's wife, Brittany, understandably explained that her initial thought for his symptoms, like weakness in his right hand, might have been from a pinched nerve from playing football. Look, you gotta respect her perspective, but with numbers as staggering as four times the risk, it's gotta make you wonder how many "pinched nerves" are actually something far more serious for our guys out there.
This isn't just about Chris Johnson, as incredibly tough as he is. This is about every single dude who's ever strapped on a helmet and hit the field, including our Hawks. It's about protecting the guys who give us everything on Sundays at Lumen Field. The facts are out there, the science is clear, and the settlement fund speaks for itself. We can't let major outlets just skip over this vital conversation. We need to demand that the tough questions get asked, and the answers get shared. Because when our heroes are facing this kind of risk, the Emerald City, the 12s, we need to be ready to stand up for them. This isn't going away, and it shouldn't.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.