Packers legend reveals heartbreaking diagnosis, but he’s ready for the fight ahead
Former NFL running back Ahman Green revealed an early onset Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Green Bay Packers all-time rushing leader Ahman Green revealed he has been diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease. The Packers Hall of Famer, now 49 years old, shared the news during an interview on the Go Long podcast with host Tyler Dunne, detailing his journey from noticing symptoms to receiving a formal diagnosis in January, 2025.
“Last year I got diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s. I had a little bit of the feet twitching, when I’m in my sleep and stuff like that. I knew something was going on long before that. I just got a hold of some doctors that I was able to get in contact with, get diagnostics, get testing. And finally got tested last. It was January of 2025.”
Green remains determined
The former running back emphasized his desire to keep the conversation around Parkinson’s visible and ongoing, and expressed optimism about catching the disease in its early stages.
“It needs to be upfront,” Green mentioned. “It needs to be a topic that’s always hit. And it’s not the end-all. To me, I have a jump ahead of it. Just like anybody discovering that they have some type of cancer in their body, I’m ahead of it right now.”
There is the undeniable context of head trauma associated with football, but Green remained positive about the fact that he discovered the issue early. The diagnosis came roughly 15 years after his retirement from professional football. Former Packers and Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
A Packers legend
Green’s place in franchise history is secure. A third-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 1998, he was traded to Green Bay along with a fifth-round pick in exchange for cornerback Fred Vinson and a sixth-round pick. That deal turned into one of the most lopsided trades in Packers history.
During his time with the Packers from 2000 to 2006, and then again during a brief return in 2009, Green became the franchise’s all-time rushing leader with 8,322 yards. He scored 54 rushing touchdowns, earned second-team All-Pro honors, made four Pro Bowls, and was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame. After his final NFL season in 2009, Green had short stints with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League and the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League before retiring in 2011.
Green also spoke about how he approached telling his loved ones, explaining why the public disclosure took time.
“I didn’t share it for a long time because I wanted to let my kids know, my family,” Green added. “I let them all know first before I told friends, family, somebody like yourself.”
Now that the information is public, Green has made clear that awareness and early detection are the messages he wants to carry forward.