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Study estimates 75% of NFL players who died over 15 years had CTE

A JAMA Network Open study put the figure three times higher than the group's August estimate; its leader calls it a best guess.

Updated Oct 28, 2026 · 16:15 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • A new JAMA Network Open study estimates that three in four professional football players who died over 15 years showed CTE signs.[NBC News]
  • The figure is three times higher than the same group's August estimate, which put it at one-quarter over five years.[NBC News]
  • The study estimates about 27% of former players in the analysis had dementia, and its leader calls the numbers a best guess.[NBC News]
  • The NFL said it continuously strives to make the game safer, including by reducing concussions and head impacts.[NBC News]

Key facts

  • An estimated 75% of professional football players who died over a 15-year span had signs of CTE, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.[NBC News]
  • The study put the figure three times higher than an August study by the same group, which estimated that one-quarter of NFL players who died over five years had CTE.[NBC News]
  • About 27% of former players in the analysis were estimated to have dementia.[NBC News]
  • The analysis drew on 396 donated brains plus information from 1,966 other deceased former NFL players.[NBC News]
  • In the study, 362 of 387 deceased former players were found to have some form of CTE.[CBS News]
  • An NFL spokesperson said the league continuously strives to make the game safer, including by reducing concussions and head impacts.[NBC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The 75% figure is an estimate, and its study leader describes it as a best guess.[NBC News]
  • The sample figures differ across reports: 396 donated brains plus 1,966 other players in one, and 362 of 387 deceased players with CTE in the other. The provided reporting does not explain the difference.[NBC News · CBS News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.