Por Renan Filho · 2026-10-29**Lead**
A comprehensive study of brain tissue from deceased National Football League players has concluded that approximately 75% of those examined exhibited at least some degree of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive neurodegenerative disease associated with repetitive head trauma. The findings, released last week by researchers at a major academic medical center, add to a growing body of evidence linking football-related concussions and subconcussive hits to long-term neurological damage. The study examined a large sample of brains donated by families of former NFL players, providing one of the most extensive postmortem analyses of CTE prevalence in professional football to date.
**Context**
CTE is a brain disorder that can only be diagnosed after death through autopsy. It has been increasingly identified in athletes, military veterans, and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma. Symptoms often appear years after the injuries and can include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, anxiety, and progressive dementia. The condition gained widespread public attention in the 2000s after the deaths of several high-profile NFL players, including Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau and defensive back Dave Duerson, both of whom were found to have CTE after taking their own lives.
Since then, the NFL has faced intense scrutiny over its handling of head injuries. In 2015, the league agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit with former players for up to one billion dollars, acknowledging the link between football and long-term brain damage. The settlement covers retired players who suffer from certain neurodegenerative conditions, including CTE, though the league has never formally admitted that CTE is directly caused by playing football. In recent years, the NFL has implemented rule changes aimed at reducing head impacts, such as banning the use of the helmet as a weapon and penalizing unnecessary roughness on defenseless players, and has also invested millions in research and equipment advancement.
The new study's sample includes brains from players who competed in the NFL between the 1960s and the 2010s, spanning a period when the sport evolved significantly in terms of size, speed, and protective gear. Notably, the 75% figure is a weighted estimate across the entire sample, but researchers caution that the true rate among all former players may be different because the sample is biased toward individuals whose families suspected they had CTE or related symptoms. The study also found that the severity of CTE often correlated with the number of years played and the position on the field, with offensive lineman and defensive backs—positions that involve frequent, high-velocity collisions—showing the highest rates of advanced disease.
**Analise**
The implications of this study extend beyond the football field. CTE is not confined to professional athletes; it has been found in amateur football players, soccer players, boxers, and military personnel exposed to blast explosions. The finding that roughly three out of four deceased NFL players had at least some CTE pathology underscores the urgent need for better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of traumatic brain injury in contact sports. Advocacy groups, such as the Concussion Legacy Foundation, have long argued that the NFL must do more to protect players—not only during their careers but also after retirement, including providing better medical care and financial support for those diagnosed with neurological conditions.
From a public health perspective, the study highlights the importance of reducing head impacts at all levels of youth and high school football. While the NFL is the most visible arena, millions of young athletes participate in American football each season. A 2017 study by Boston University School of Medicine found that 110 out of 111 former NFL players had CTE—a 99% rate in that particular sample—but the new data suggest that the prevalence may be lower in the broader population of all former NFL players. Still, even 75% represents a staggering public health burden. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has called for more research into biomarkers that could detect CTE in living individuals, potentially allowing for earlier intervention.
**Fontes**
The findings come from a study conducted by researchers at the Boston University CTE Center and the VA Boston Healthcare System, in collaboration with multiple universities. The research was published in the *Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)* and reported by major outlets including The Associated Press, ESPN, and The Washington Post. Data include brain donations from the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, which is the largest tissue repository for CTE research in the world. No individuals were interviewed for this report; all information is derived from the published study and publicly available statements from the researchers involved.