N.F.L. Brain Injuries

A major new study warns that playing in the NFL may be far more dangerous to the brain than most people realized. Researchers found that at least 25 percent — one in four — of professional football players could develop a serious brain disease called C.T.E. The disease is caused by repeated blows to the head, and it can only be confirmed by examining a person's brain after they die. The findings are raising new questions about player safety and whether enough is being done to protect athletes.

C.T.E. stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It is a disease that slowly damages the brain over many years. People with C.T.E. can experience memory loss, confusion, wild mood swings, and problems making decisions. Over time, they may struggle with addiction, and some have taken their own lives. Famous NFL players like Junior Seau and Frank Gifford were found to have C.T.E. after they died.

Researchers looked at 878 former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021. They were able to test the brains of 235 of those players. Out of that group, 215 — or about 91 percent — tested positive for C.T.E. That works out to roughly 24.5 percent of all the players studied. Scientists believe the true number could be even higher, because hundreds of brains were never examined at all.

New York Times reporter John Branch has been covering C.T.E. in professional sports for nearly 15 years. He applied the study's findings to today's NFL. When the current regular season began, there were 1,696 players on active rosters across the league's 32 teams. If the rate from the study holds true, at least 400 of those players will develop C.T.E. during their lifetimes. That is a number that shocked even experienced scientists.

The human cost of this disease is very real, and Branch's reporting put faces to the numbers. At least three players from the 2009 San Diego Chargers were later found to have C.T.E. after they died. Vincent Jackson, a star wide receiver, died at age 38 from alcohol poisoning. Kevin Ellison, a defensive back, died at 31 after being struck by a car on a California highway. Paul Oliver, another defensive back, died at 29 after shooting himself in front of his wife and two young sons.

Some people have asked why the government has not stepped in to protect players. The agency that oversees workplace safety is called OSHA, but it told reporters that it generally does not take action when it comes to professional athletes. One scientist compared the danger of playing in the NFL to Russian roulette, saying the risk of escaping harm is worse than that deadly game. Because the NFL earns more than $23 billion a year and dominates TV ratings, many in government are unwilling to push for big changes. As reporter John Branch noted, C.T.E. tends to feel like someone else's problem — until it isn't.