# At Least 1 in 4 NFL Players Gets CTE, Major New Study Finds

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-08-25 12:07 UTC · Category: Sports

## Executive Summary
A major new study reveals that at least one in four NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

## Intelligence Brief
A major new study has revealed that Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is widespread among former NFL athletes. According to the findings, at least 1 in 4 NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 suffered from the disease. Specifically, NBC Sports reports that the study found at least 24.5 percent of players within that designated timeframe had the condition. This data indicates a significant prevalence of brain disease among professionals who played in the league, with the results being described as alarming across several reports. The findings have generated widespread media coverage from numerous global and national outlets.


The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the BBC have all highlighted the prevalence of the disease, while CNN, NPR, and CBS News focus on the estimate that 25 percent of the sampled players were affected. NBC News and NBC Los Angeles also report on the specific 2016 to 2021 window of deaths examined by the researchers. Bloomberg has characterized the brain damage as widespread among these athletes, while the Boston Globe confirms that the condition was present at the time of death for at least one in four players. To understand why this is trending now, coverage from The Hill explains the nature of CTE and seeks to determine how many former players have been diagnosed with the disease. The study's release has shifted the conversation toward the long-term health risks associated with professional football.


The New York Times has expanded this context to address parents, providing guidance on how to minimize the risk of CTE for children who play football. This suggests a growing concern that the risks identified in professional athletes may extend to younger players involved in the sport. Moving forward, the fallout from these alarming results is being tracked by The New York Times through specific takeaways on the study's implications. While the current findings focus on a specific cohort of players who died between 2016 and 2021, the data provides a baseline for evaluating the risk of developing CTE. Coverage does not yet specify the exact methodology of the study or the total number of brains examined, but the consistent reporting of the 25 percent figure indicates a major shift in the understanding of the disease's frequency within the NFL population.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. News & World Report | At Least 1 In 4 NFL Players Who Died Recently Had Impact-Related Brain Damage, Study Finds | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi4wFBVV95cUxQeUZtTlFPM3hkT0RORWlSUjFzcWhYZEltZUVvSWpoekNkbGlRaEpRODY2cUZOdXNBT2I0TlZCTmwteFRoQVFrNGZtVFFnUnlsSE9seE42d25LeElfZlo1ZFNKcDRhY0lKTTY4Q05kS3hTaGRRcjZRTEV5MmhBYW9wMUp1WGFnZEZLaExsa1c1MVlhTkx1UTd1bVM0MGlNcHY1cjdrdjRQNkhsVlptcUtMSVFXMk5NSmpJUFl4NDVhaDlIQTJmMmhHYU5odzFZRl9jb3RPUE90TGh4ZXRaam93d1pBNA?oc=5) |
| WBUR | Boston researcher explains finding that CTE could affect at least 1 in 4 NFL players | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMic0FVX3lxTE1uYUdJbzNXbWxNRFcxR1MweUZmRDE0M21MTW90ODQyQzd1am5JbGVhUHoyY3JsOTJ3WUpmWTRHYWhJWmhUc0JOVEM3RXREU0JkX0N2bjNvT2pzaDBQdDU5MTk1VjFOWksxVDF5eDdlWGtVemc?oc=5) |
| The New York Times | As C.T.E. Cases Soar, Why Do Football Crowds Still Go Wild? | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiX0FVX3lxTFBHbmJZN2ZHeHJBUnZiVWxudXFLbThNalFodDBuZ2l2djllN3dISGVpSUo5anVBYnc1cXM5ejl6eF9ZZGZETFBNcFRoMWMxcFZoUUx4c3Jjb1R4dUNYWEd3?oc=5) |
| The New York Times | Their Children Want to Play Football. Parents Ask: Is It Worth the Risk? | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifkFVX3lxTFA3Uk8zaVExZi1GeW9ucWhNT20ta1BTalU3bTBjZzZUOFpuYVcyYVNWZEx4OVZCRjR0MmVhUUxaVlFQWkhFMmdvZS1pWnlSWVFFZG1fblRDZXFEb0NqZWRDLUN1b01Bd1JfRGUyMWxoNWtmS2JCZVF6YWU1VUdaQQ?oc=5) |
| PBS | New study reveals widespread signs of brain trauma among former NFL players | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxPQTlWZ0xMM3pxTkpmYnk5MllMMW4zRGZZVzJxdHdjanlzM2diMGxkdlk5MmMtWXRuU2VzVVJFVWhZc1F1Q200SUR3NTN2ZWszQkM3ZVlWQ0Zsam04aVVKZzVZdmt0amFTZl9IS05XX2huSXVZMTZWNXZOeE8zaEp0dzNmX3VSTTlxYTFZanJpY0EzNHNUZUF5Sm14OUVsdWFTRkdBaHZRVndSVHloU0E?oc=5) |
| WSB-TV | Alarming results from a new CTE study on former NFL players | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxPVFkwZjBlQkRZSXJVeFhGcXJpM3M2cnJDdjFiOGhDN0RGU1hTcW9KSEEyMTFsdjl3UDNCeDBqQjNxYnFOZ19BaW1pdnhqTHdGUXAzWFA0VHYyWkRGZy03SkN5VWxadDlLQU9XQS05ODg5bmJDR0lQcDNaLXlmUWppeWRmNFdRYkZodDg4UmI0dElSQm0xMG9WLTRTdURBQ2MteE1IYnpKREhmTW9WVFhJ0gHDAUFVX3lxTE1zTTZSZHp3RGRGajQ2SUNCbVVlM3NaNkNLb2xmYk1FTEJrWFduZ0ppTjNqcXRRbjRGSW4tbFZQOEhLdmRHZXRZYy0zekFyT3VHWnpsaHNpd0tDbk9vT19rT3BSaDZMeFhmUERzeEVBS1NucjFCamdydklweHlKM2lfR3g5bGRsRF9UWU1yTDY2UThwLU41bWVQVW9URGRkbE10b0F) |
| The Washington Post | CTE study finds at least 1 in 4 NFL players suffered from disease | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxPWDhOcUJLSFozSFM2NFEwckVxODBzeC1hNTd5SHd3QzU5NDU0V0dQNWNwWl9kVGlwWEEwUFNyTVVGZmZDTzE4bDF1cHh4bEFISkl5UzJBV2F6WGRFajZ2SDJPNXFEclV6WE41WlBWbEhMQ0pqcERlVmtEeXY0eVFTX1ExdzlKQVFlUUhjYVYzc2p2dUtoVmhYYmlOTV9YNVZmZ2xhcnFCdw?oc=5) |
| The New York Times | 5 Takeaways on the Fallout From an Alarming C.T.E. Study | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMieEFVX3lxTE4xU0J4c3NTazd3ejBtRW8tdkNBZkw0QjJkV2t2ZWhOdTdoVFptem52WDhNeDQxb0k0SjZRSTZlN1hvbVBZdzhIMWloek1WeVZBakpVYlpDTXp4U2x0QmZsNjN0UGpiTURuYVFCLXBHMmM0eXFSdjlRdg?oc=5) |
| NBC Los Angeles | At least 25% of NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE, study shows | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxNVzhzck9PTFkxSG5nc2phdU9aLS1EbUhzNlM3dmZ5cWVzNmhxTF8za2xQUGluYVY3SUlzTzVDNkNkTjVrTmZCcFdUMVhvMDJrNkl1NFhkbEdBR0RDWXdEV3RKUE9kYnBjcFViemJ1ZV9Ueml1Q2NReEY4MDhYNEphOExSbFdHOERuQU1KTFZiN0ltNWozak5xVDhmYmvSAaQBQVVfeXFMTXFOaEVtblhiU1hOSXIyOFN1ZU9tZEVwd0w0MVpOM1FmSkkzUmpIVTFYRmhfNUJFTU1oZExmcXpPTEVBUmtlVGJwUnJ5S2ZDc0dha0Ntbm82djFOVE5wNFFkUzBlSWJ6Qlh4RHU4dHhDcDRLeWNfc2UtMHlPOHVZXzRpd2tYSXJsUEQ0Q2ZPTWJiRHQ1NXFJX18xaGhWM2pyMDc4VHk?oc=5) |
| KCRA | 1 in 4 former NFL players who died from 2016 to 2021 had CTE, study estimates | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiekFVX3lxTE5RSzgxM1VXanQ2bnFhWU9aMU5mMkhzcDNjNUl2N1hSRjFybnJXTDdHOXFZMDFvTnF1OElOTmJWOHU3bzlfMW96dGpNanZHZDVnOXFiUF91bG5vaVNudnI4T3ltZmJUUzhXclE1c3lDR2VpaGd4aWEzTVNB?oc=5) |
| CBS News | At least 1 in 4 ex-NFL players who died from 2016 to 2021 had CTE, study finds | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxNWXN6SVlWZFlsWW9BOVZ2TnZfMExLbjB0N29JWHE0ZXljM3ExNHV6RGo3RklQdmdFZXJBcXVJT29Bc0d5NHdqQll0T1lrVWJITEFEVmlqcjRtNTVJZDFPSF94a3QzSXY3UHlWMEhQb2E4UVJzWHRhTXdWYl9jQVBtT1hHa3gxZVZFdTgxUU0tTkFCQnZrWElHQ3p0N0NndFVk?oc=5) |
| The Hill | What is CTE, and how many former NFL players have been diagnosed with it? | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxQc08yMVJvb2tiNFZVcUxua0w3SURTcWdFRU85Sk1TOFpNNUxQWGQxdm5LZG9uOTlnNGtyRlRLcEpoRDdZOFczcmFudmN0WWoxSVp1Y0lvOGo0SkFVeVcwRHloYllwLTlrMHVGUkdONDhKUmhPRTJzb3ROTGVoU2FFaVI4VGVJT09Ndmx0N0Jsb3RldFdSdVZ3QjBPRk04b0xqLVc0Rkl3eEFYVWxmOTBJekJWaVR3bkktTVE?oc=5) |
| Bloomberg.com | Chronic Traumatic Brain Damage Widespread in Former NFL Athletes | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxOT1pvelRUTklvcExYQ3dKSXhMX3VrV1JLQTJpMkVpbVU4NmRfLXZiSlpFS3FOQjJPUUdmWDlINFJKSWdtWW11ZlVuVDJTOXhqSFJaR190dlVYeF9nVWZGYXgybVN6dkV4ZUVPNUE3NEdzSDc3Qko5MmNZM08xa2ZhOUZBNjdxcnN4RU82ckpxclNnYzZzRm5XWDh5dGZIM21KNzNNWHZ1d0FOOVFkMHVaRndnMEtWZw?oc=5) |
| BBC | NFL: At least one in four dead players had brain disease, says study | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMic0FVX3lxTE1tcnZ0MVJ2ZG9oQlpCWGZoalRnaHYzZWhNdlBLVWN6dzZ5ZkFsbE9lcEdfazkxamUzOEtscWJwaHFBRlc5akVIWnAzSDJoNnQyVlpGU2kxcFVJOVhMQW1GNFNFVkVZd2pBYUJES0w5NGZTR00?oc=5) |
| CNN | 1 in 4 former NFL players who died from 2016 to 2021 had CTE, study estimates | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiakFVX3lxTE9kblNkejdRZF9SVHlnd0NWV0NJR2xCUmdvZGRJYXFaLUF5ZHZVVUllV0h5ekM1MUNyNDF6UWQzM3hCUGt6REJ0U0FKUXpvUFFzOEREbFpBVnJ2VWk4WFZ1VW9fdC1nTDN6amc?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-08-25/at-least-1-in-4-nfl-players-gets-cte-major-new-study-finds*