STUDY FINDS 24.5% OF DEAD NFL PLAYERS HAD CTE

A study published in The BMJ found that at least 24.5 per cent of former National Football League players who died between 2016 and 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Of 878 players who died during that period, at least 215 had the condition. The research used brain samples from the UNITE Brain Bank at Boston University. The actual prevalence could be considerably higher, as 643 of the remaining 663 players' brains were not examined for CTE.

Former officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration commented on the findings. David Michaels, a former OSHA head, described the CTE rate as "astoundingly high". Another former OSHA official called it "apocalyptically high", stating: "We never see things that are this dire." Former OSHA chief Doug Parker questioned why the federal regulator had not become involved with the matter. Current OSHA management stated in response: "In most cases, OSHA does not take enforcement action with regard to professional athletes."

The NFL said in a statement: "The NFL continuously strives to make the game of football safer, including by implementing strategies to reduce concussions and head impacts." The National Football League Players Association also provided comment on the study's results. The findings add to existing documentation of long-term neurological risks associated with American football play at the professional level.