Former Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals running back Chris Johnson, who holds the NFL’s single-season record for yards from scrimmage, revealed Monday that he has been diagnosed with ALS, short for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.Johnson, 40, shared the diagnosis on Good Morning America in an interview with GMA host and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.
FULL INTERVIEW: Former NFL running back Chris Johnson reveals his ALS diagnosis at 39. pic.twitter.com/5Pb8YAQ5x0
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 29, 2026“First, I want people to know that I’m still me,” said Johnson, who answered questions using a speech-generating device triggered by his eyes. “ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn’t changed who I am.”Following a 10-year NFL career, Johnson retired from the league in 2017. He was drafted by the Titans in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of East Carolina. Johnson rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons in the NFL. In that span, Johnson missed just one game, when he was inactive for the regular season finale his rookie year because the Titans had already clinched the top seed in the AFC.Johnson’s NFL peak came in 2009, his second season as a pro, when he shattered records. That year, Johnson joined the exclusive 2,000-yard club by rushing for 2,006 yards in 16 games. He became the sixth player to accomplish the feat and remains one of just nine players in NFL history to cross the 2,000-yard threshold. In addition to his dominance in the run game, Johnson caught 50 passes for 503 yards. His 2,509 yards from scrimmage that season still stand as the NFL record. Johnson’s electric season earned him Offensive Player of the Year honors and the nickname CJ2K.
