NFL Stars Donald, Nacua React to Alarming CTE Study
A new study estimates 74.5% of deceased former NFL players had CTE, prompting starkly different reactions from the Los Angeles Rams stars.
A groundbreaking study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open by researchers at Boston University, Mass General Brigham and the Concussion & CTE Foundation, estimated that 74.5% of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease associated with repetitive head impacts. The findings have prompted reactions from Los Angeles Rams stars Aaron Donald and Puka Nacua.
Aaron Donald, a veteran defensive tackle, expressed a visible shock upon hearing about the study's findings. "Damn, man. Why? We don’t want to bring that to this. We don’t want to talk about that, man," Donald said after practice. He acknowledged the gravity of the disease, noting, "I think when you’re playing the game, you don’t think about it. You just play, right? I think when you sign up to play football, you know what you’re signing up for."
Conversely, Puka Nacua, a younger player on the team, offered a more measured perspective. "As being a younger player, I’m grateful for the information that they’re trying to gather for some of the long-term effects," Nacua stated. He also praised the NFL's ongoing efforts to improve player safety, citing initiatives like Guardian Caps and adjustments to practice intensity.
Matthew Stafford's wife, Kelly, also weighed in on the study via her Instagram story. She specifically advocated for the NFL to replace turf fields with natural grass surfaces, drawing a parallel to FIFA's implementation across all stadiums during the 2026 World Cup.
The study examined 2,362 deceased former players, employing methods to account for potential selection bias in brain donations. However, researchers cautioned that the findings cannot definitively predict CTE prevalence among currently active NFL players. The disease can only be conclusively diagnosed after death, meaning current players like Donald and Nacua remain uncertain about their long-term neurological health.
