Statement by Former NFL Players Living with ALS: Follow the Science Beyond the Headlines

Head injuries are serious, and no one should minimize their potential impact. We know they can contribute to long-term health risks, and continued research in this area is essential. At the same time, it is equally important to recognize that an association is not the same as direct causation. That distinction matters.

The recent study identifying an increased incidence of ALS among former NFL players is an important contribution to the scientific conversation. Much of the coverage, however, omitted critical context that the authors themselves provided. The study was not able to account for several important factors, including genetics, military service, substance use, socioeconomic status, and other medical conditions. The authors also note that elite NFL athletes represent a unique population with distinct genetic characteristics and selection pressures that may influence outcomes independently of football exposure.

ALS is an extraordinarily complex disease. The growing body of scientific evidence suggests it arises from multiple interacting biological and environmental factors, including genetics, immune function, metabolism, inflammation, environmental exposures, and possibly repetitive trauma, rather than a single cause acting alone.

If repetitive head trauma by itself were the primary driver of ALS, we would expect sports with even greater cumulative head impacts, such as professional boxing, to demonstrate dramatically higher rates of the disease. That pattern has not been observed. This does not suggest that trauma plays no role. Rather, it reinforces that trauma is unlikely to be the entire explanation and that the underlying biology is far more complex.

That is why research initiatives such as Champion Insights are so important. The central scientific question is how biological, genetic, environmental, and occupational factors converge to increase risk in certain individuals. Champion Insights was designed to answer precisely this kind of question.

Champion Insights is a nationwide study investigating why high-performing athletes, military veterans, and first responders develop ALS at higher rates than the general population. It collects biological samples and clinical data from participants across the country to analyze genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors together. By examining these factors in combination rather than in isolation, the study is built to reveal how they converge to raise risk, and to identify the possible biomarkers and disease pathways that could lead to treatments. We must move beyond identifying associations and focus on understanding the biological mechanisms that increase risk, uncover disease subtypes, identify biomarkers, and accelerate the development of effective therapies.

The men and women living with ALS today, and those who may face this disease in the future, deserve scientific answers grounded in evidence, not assumptions that create fear without advancing solutions.

We remain committed to supporting the rigorous, collaborative science that will move us beyond correlation and toward prevention, better treatments, and ultimately a cure.

If you would like to learn more about the program we support and have enrolled in, go to ChampionInsights.org

With Gratitude, Steve Gleason, Former NFL Player (Saints) and Living with ALS

Founder, Team Gleason & Answer ALS

Tim Shaw, Former NFL Player (Titans) and Living with ALS

Founder, TShaw Strong

Kerry Goode, Former NFL Player (Buccaneers) and Living with ALS

Founder, The Goode Foundation

Eric Stevens, Former NFL Player (Rams) and Living with ALS

Founder, axeALS