Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson announced that he has ALS in June
Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson announced earlier this summer that he’s battling ALS. His former team is now not wasting any time giving him his flowers.
The Titans announced this week that the team will induct former running back Chris Johnson into their Ring of Honor on September 13, during the team’s season opener against the New York Jets.
The announcement comes just weeks after Johnson, 39, publicly revealed that he has been diagnosed with ALS — communicating the news through an eye-tracking speech device after the disease progressed rapidly enough to affect his ability to speak.
The Tennessee Titans will induct former running back Chris Johnson into their Ring of Honor on September 13 following his ALS diagnosis
CJ2K Forever. Ring of Honor. 9.13 pic.twitter.com/4MA4hIK06l
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) July 17, 2026
Speed, records, memories. CJ2K will forever be in our Ring of Honor pic.twitter.com/C4PatZlvK2
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) July 17, 2026
Johnson will now be the 20th member of the organization’s Ring of Honor alongside Elvin Bethea, George Blanda, Robert Brazile, Earl Campbell, Eddie George, Ken Houston, Billy ‘White Shoes’ Johnson, Bruce Matthews, Steve McNair, Warren Moon, Jim Norton, Mike Munchak, Frank Wycheck, K.S. ‘Bud’ Adams Jr., Jeff Fisher, Mike Holovak, Floyd Reese, O.A. ‘Bum’ Phillips, and Mike Keith.
Known universally as CJ2K, he became only the sixth player in league history to break the 2,000-yard barrier when he rushed for 2,006 yards during the 2009 season. His yards from scrimmage total that season was 2,509, an NFL record that still stands.
The Titans selected Johnson, a three-time Pro Bowler with the team, out of East Carolina University with the 24th pick of the 2008 NFL draft. He spent six seasons in Tennessee (2008-2013) and surpassed the 1,000 rushing yards mark in each year, with his 7,965 rushing yards ranking fourth in franchise history.
Johnson is just one of nine players in the NFL’s “2,000 yard-club” alongside O.J. Simpson, Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis, Adrian Peterson, Derrick Henry, and Saquon Barkley.
In his Good Morning America interview, Johnson said he first noticed symptoms as weakness in his right hand, with no family history of the disease. He has sporadic ALS, which accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all ALS cases.
Despite the diagnosis and its rapid progression, Johnson said he has been using his platform to raise awareness about early detection and experimental treatments, and emphasized that he remains himself despite his physical limitations.
Former NFL star Chris Johnson says his children give him “a reason to keep fighting” as he publicly reveals his ALS diagnosis. pic.twitter.com/r8ZbFg2k3A
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 29, 2026
FULL INTERVIEW: Former NFL running back Chris Johnson reveals his ALS diagnosis at 39. pic.twitter.com/5Pb8YAQ5x0
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 29, 2026
The Titans’ season-opener against the Jets will be the franchise’s first game under new head coach Robert Saleh, who previously coached Gang Green from 2021 to 2024.