dpThe Tennessee Titans postponed Chris Johnson’s induction into their Ring of Honor after “unforeseen circumstances” left Johnson and his family unable to travel to Nashville for the ceremony, the team announced in a statement posted to X on Friday.
The ceremony was originally set for halftime of Tennessee’s Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets on Sunday.
“Knowing how much he and his family desire to be in person at Nissan Stadium for his induction into the Titans Ring of Honor,” the statement read, “we will postpone the official induction ceremony and look forward to celebrating the moment with them at a future date.
“Sunday’s halftime ceremony will remain dedicated to celebrating Chris’ incredible on-field achievements and legacy with our team.”
The Titans’ statement did not say when Johnson would officially be inducted into the Ring of Honor.
Johnson, 40, shared he’d been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a late June interview on “Good Morning America” with host and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.
ALS is a progressive nervous system disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It targets the nerve cells (motor neurons) that send signals from the brain through the spine to the muscles. Once those nerve cells are damaged or die, the muscles can no longer receive signals from the brain.
“First, I want people to know that I’m still me,” he said during his GMA interview, answering questions using a speech-generating device triggered by his eyes. “ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn’t changed who I am.”
In 2008, Johnson ran an NFL Combine record 4.24-second 40-yard dash, a record that stood as the fastest until 2017. The Titans then drafted him No. 24 in the first round of that year’s draft out of East Carolina.
Johnson instantly became one of the league’s premier running backs in Music City, rushing for six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career. In 2009, his second year in the league, he ran for 2,006 yards as the sixth player in NFL history to break the 2,000-yard barrier. He added 503 receiving yards that season to total 2,509 yards from scrimmage, which still stands as the NFL single-season record, and was named Offensive Player of the Year.
Johnson eventually became a three-time Pro Bowler and a one-time AP First-Team All-Pro member over 10 NFL seasons. He spent the first six with Tennessee before stints with the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals and retired in 2018. His 7,965 yards in Tennessee are fourth in franchise history. He finished his career with 9,651 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns on the ground, while logging 2,255 career receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns.
“Some people leave a mark on an organization that you just can’t put into words. Chris Johnson is one of those people for us,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement after Johnson’s diagnosis was revealed. “His leadership on the field, in addition to his impact in the locker room and Nashville community, have written him permanently into the story of this franchise.”
Johnson said in his interview with GMA that after retirement, he lived a “regular life” including time with his four children and wife, Brittany, who accompanied him in the interview.
Johnson initially began feeling weakness in his right hand last year. In a column titled “A Letter to My Kids,” which was published Thursday in The Players’ Tribune, he said that on a family spring break trip in March 2025, he felt like a water bottle was heavier than usual.
After eventually being diagnosed, Johnson said he was told to get his affairs in order, and the disease progressed “much faster than I ever imagined.” He further explained he can no longer pick up his 7-year-old daughter or even hold a cup if he tries.
“How can a man just be perfectly healthy one day, running around with his kids in the yard, and then the next, your hand starts getting weak?” Johnson asked in his Players’ Tribune column. “And it just travels throughout your whole body until you can’t talk anymore?
“Man, I’ve asked myself that question like a million times, and I still don’t have an answer.”
A study released in July from Mass General Brigham, Boston University, and the Concussion & CTE Foundation concluded that NFL players are at “three to four times” higher risk of death due to neurodegenerative diseases, like ALS, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia.
Johnson responded to that study in his September column.
“I’ve seen a lot of neurologists at this point and been to basically every major ALS clinic in the country, and in my experience, as soon as you say you played football it’s like, ‘Ahh, OK,’” Johnson wrote to his kids. “Almost like an understanding, you know?”
Johnson then referenced the study before writing, “… That was a shock. And to be clear, your dad’s not an expert, and that’s just one study, and there might be other environmental factors at play. Anybody can get ALS.”
On Friday, an NFL spokesperson told The Athletic: “The NFL continuously strives to make the game of football safer, including by implementing strategies to reduce concussions and head impacts. The NFL remains committed to ensuring that the NFL community has access to a robust — and expanding — set of resources to enhance their physical and mental well-being. We encourage former players to utilize these resources to identify and seek treatment when they are concerned about their health.”
