Opinion: The most shocking thing about the latest statistics on CTE in football is that we find them so shocking
The latest study on CTE in football players “quantifies but does not reveal a problem,” writes Emily Harrison, a historian who studies brain injury in football.
A new study led by Boston-area researchers has found that nearly one in four NFL players in their sample had CTE at the time of death. CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated concussions and smaller non-concussive hits. While the 25% statistic is shocking to many, the authors suggest that it may be on the "low end," with a maximum possible prevalence of up to 98%.
The study's authors caution that their findings cannot necessarily be generalized to the American football community. Despite this, the announcement has been treated as a landmark event for the whole of football. The NFL Players Association released a statement, calling the findings a "call to action across the entire football ecosystem."
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