Chris Johnson is facing a fight far bigger than anything he ever saw on an NFL field.
The former Tennessee Titans star announced on Good Morning America that he has ALS, and the disease has advanced to the point where he used a speech generation device during his conversation with Michael Strahan. Johnson appeared alongside his wife, Brittany, and described the moment in blunt terms.
"Honestly, I don't know if you ever fully process it," Johnson said in an interview alongside his wife, Brittany. "At first, you're in shock.
Then you realize you have two choices. You can give up, or you can fight.
I chose to fight." Johnson said he has no prior history of ALS in his family.
Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk responded on social media with support for Johnson and his battle. In her statement, she pointed to the leadership he brought to the Tennessee locker room and the mark he left in the Nashville community. She also said the organization will "support Chris every step of the way throughout his journey."
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. As motor neurons die, basic functions such as walking, chewing, and breathing can become harder over time. The disease typically worsens and currently has no known cure.
Johnson’s football résumé in Tennessee is still the stuff of franchise lore. The former first-round pick out of East Carolina arrived with a then-record 4.24 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and backed it up with a career that made him one of the Titans’ defining players, even going back to the Oilers era. He spent six of his 10 NFL seasons with Tennessee.
His numbers tell the story. Johnson ranks fourth in Titans history in rushing yards and second in rushing yards per game, trailing only Hall of Famer Earl Campbell. He piled up just under 10,000 yards from scrimmage and 58 touchdowns with Tennessee, and his second season remains one of the most remarkable in league history, one of only nine 2,000-yard rushing seasons ever.
Now the Titans legend is taking on a different kind of challenge, with the same determination that once let him rip through defenses for a decade. And as he does, the support of the Titans and their fan base is already surrounding him.
In Other News...
Cowboys Early Roster Projection Puts Familiar Names In Serious Danger
With July approaching, the Cowboys first pass at a 53-man roster already hints at a lot of familiar names getting squeezed. The projection is less about locking anything in and more about mapping the competition at every spot, from quarterback to the back end of the defense, while also weighing which rookies can push their way into bigger roles before the season arrives.
One of the trickier calls sits behind the starting quarterback, where Dallas may end up carrying three passers but still has to sort out a backup pecking order. The same uncertainty runs through the rest of the roster, with a few players who logged real snaps last season suddenly looking vulnerable and others, including rookies like Jaishawn Barham and LT Overton, offering the kind of long-term promise that can make these early projections feel more like a warning than a prediction. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Are Suddenly Getting The Respect Fans Never Expected
The Cowboys have spent plenty of recent offseasons under a cloud of frustration and second-guessing, but this one is drawing a different kind of attention. Around the league, several personnel executives are looking at Dallas as one of the NFLs most improved teams, with the roster moves and coaching decisions giving the franchise a steadier, more credible feel than it has had in a while.
A big part of that perception comes from how the defense has been upgraded and how the staff has been shaped, including Brian Schottenheimers choice to bring in Christian Parker to run the unit. There is also a sense that the front office has handled the business side more cleanly, from the George Pickens situation to contract decisions that no longer seem to linger as distractions, which is why some evaluators are now discussing Dallas in a way fans have not been used to hearing. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Already Took A Hit Where This Roster Could Least Afford It
The Cowboys have spent enough time talking about ceilings and upside this spring, but the latest reminder of how thin the margin can be came in a place Dallas could least afford it. With Dak Prescott coming off a strong 2025 season, the bigger picture still points toward a roster that needs its quarterback to keep playing at that level while the front office tries to manage what comes next on the cap. At the same time, the defensive side is being shaped by Christian Parkers expected Vic Fangio-style approach, which puts even more pressure on the line to create disruption without much blitz help.
That is why the early look at a rookie edge rusher such as Malachi Lawrence matters so much to this team. Dallas needs pass rush juice to show up quickly, and it needs it from players who can fit into a system built around patience, discipline and pressure from the front four. If that kind of help is going to come, it has to come soon, because the roster does not have many obvious places left to absorb another hit. [Read more 🡒]