CTE in football players is a health crisis. It’s time for us to stop watching
theguardian.com • • sports
Key Points:
- A recent study in the British Journal of Medicine found that among 235 donated brains of former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021, 215 showed evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), indicating a high prevalence of the disease among deceased players.
- The study estimates that between 24.5% and 97.7% of players who died in that period may have had CTE, highlighting the significant risk posed by repeated head trauma in football.
- Research shows every 2.6 years of football participation doubles the risk of developing CTE, with high school and college players receiving hundreds to thousands of subconcussive blows per season, which are linked to later-life cognitive and psychiatric disorders.
- Football players, including those at the college level, report serious cognitive and mental health issues related to head injuries, with some former NFL players dying by suicide, underscoring the severe long-term consequences of repeated head trauma.
- The authors argue that given the overwhelming evidence of football’s neurological risks, fans should reconsider their support for the sport, as continuing business as usual endangers players’ lives and well-being.
