New study estimates 75 percent of former NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 had CTE

Published October 28, 2026 10:22 PM A new study from JAMA Network Open by researchers at Boston University, Mass General Brigham, and the Concussion & CTE Foundation has found that an estimated 75 percent of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had CTE.“Many cases may have been early stage at the time of death and possibly symptom free,” the paper said, via Shwetha Surendran of ESPN.That observation speaks to one of the basic realities of CTE. It’s unknown how many people have it. And it’s no surprise that the vast majority of former NFL players who die with CTE symptoms are later determined to have had CTE.There’s a balance to strike. On one hand, it’s obvious that long-term, repetitive head trauma isn’t good for the brain. On the other hand, it can be problematic to have hundreds, if not thousands, of former NFL players believing they already have — and constantly fearing the inevitable development of symptoms.Even now, years after CTE became a commonly-known term, there’s much work to be done in order to understand who gets it, how it develops, and what it means to have it. Hopefully, the research will continue with the goal of better clarifying the risks that current players are assuming without making those whose careers have ended unduly anxious about the possibility that a ticking time bomb has been embedded in their brains.