NFL Rookie's Career Ends Abruptly Due to Genetic Spinal Cord Condition

Atlanta Falcons rookie Anterio Thompson, a defensive tackle drafted in 2026, has had his NFL career cut short by a devastating diagnosis of a genetic mutation affecting his spinal cord. Thompson, 24, shared the news on Instagram this week, expressing the emotional difficulty of the situation.

"Mentally, I've been better than anyone would be in my situation," Thompson wrote. "I was told I would never play football again due to a genetic mutation in my spinal cord that I had no idea about. As a football player you know one day you'll have to hang up your cleats but you just hope it's on your own terms. It's hard to explain what it feels like to go through the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in the [sic] matter of seconds."

ESPN reported that Thompson has been on the reserve/non-football injury list since training camp and has not been with the team since the spring. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski declined to comment on Thompson's status when asked by reporters Friday, stating he had "no update" shortly before the news became public.

Thompson later posted on Instagram again, clarifying his initial announcement was not a plea for sympathy. "The post I posted Thursday wasn't a cry for help or me asking for sympathy. I just wanted to lay that part of me to rest," he stated. "Football was everything to me, I just knew regardless how bad the world was around me I had football. This is my last post talking about this publicly as I don't want to bring any more attention to this [than] it needs. I have no further comments."

Thompson played his college football at the University of Washington, where he recorded 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for a loss in his final season. Prior to his time at Washington, he played one season each at Iowa Western, Iowa, and Western Michigan.