Patrick Mahomes reacts after former NFL star Chris Johnson shares devastating ALS diagnosis
The former Tennessee Titans running back revealed his condition during a touching interview on “Good Morning America” on Monday.
The NFL world was hit with a sad development this week. Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson, one of only nine men to have 2,000 rushing yards in a single season, revealed he’s battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a severe neurodegenerative disease.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes reacted to the devastating update, sending a touching message to CJ2K on social media.
A sad reality
Chris Johnson, who will turn 41 in September, shared the diagnosis publicly in his GMA interview with fellow NFL great Michael Strahan.
“First, I want people to know I’m still me,” Johnson opened with. “ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn’t changed who I am.”
He first noticed weakness in his right hand in 2025, unable to grip or lift weights like he used to. When he and his wife consulted doctors, they hoped it would turn out to be anything else. But the ALS diagnosis was positive.
“They told us about medication that might extend my life for a few months. Then they told us to get our affairs in order,” the Johnson’s shared. But today, he is working with leading medical professionals in their field to slow the progress of the disease.
Chris is now communicating via a speech generating machine by using his eyes. The artificial voice is an AI version of Chris’s own, which they recorded shortly after his diagnosis.
What an ALS diagnosis means
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, has already affected many former football players. Steve Gleason, Tim Shaw, Tim Green, and Dwight Clark are examples.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, ALS is a neurological disorder that affects motor neurons. Motor neurons are the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement and breathing.
As the disease advances, muscles become weaker, begin to twitch (fasciculations), and gradually waste away (atrophy). Over time, people with ALS lose the ability to perform everyday functions such as walking, talking, chewing, and eventually breathing. Symptoms continue to worsen as the disease progresses.
Chris Johnson played 10 seasons in the NFL. After his stellar tenure with the Titans, he also played for the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals.
Johnson and Mahomes never played together, as the Chiefs quarterback became a starter shortly after Johnson retired. Still, Mahomes’ public show of support is a meaningful gesture for a fellow member of the football community as Johnson faces the difficult road ahead.