Having dealt with his own health battles in recent years, Deion Sanders understood the weight of difficult medical news. So when former NFL running back Chris Johnson revealed his ALS diagnosis on June 29, Coach Prime was among those who quickly showed support.

After being nominated by former NFL running back LenDale White, Sanders took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on Instagram on July 5, 2026.

"I know God uses foolish things to confound the wise. If we use something foolish like [the Ice Bucket Challenge], because CJ is going to come through, I know he's going to come through; he's going to win this battle, it will bring so many of us together," Sanders said on Instagram on July 5, 2026.

Sanders used his caption to honor the NFL legends who had already stepped up before him, which included Marshawn Lynch, Devin Hester, Adam Jones, Edgerrin James, and LenDale White.

"I love y'all dudes to life and thank u for uniting for our brother @chrisjohnsontwo8. Let's be there for one another regardless of what's up," Sanders wrote on Instagram on July 5, 2026.

Johnson ran for 9,651 yards and scored 55 touchdowns in 10 seasons in the NFL. Johnson ran for an NFL record in a single season, 2,006 yards in 2009 as a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Johnson revealed on Good Morning America that his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), diagnosed in 2025, now severely limits his speech to the use of a speech-generating device that he controls with his eyes.

Johnson's teammates in the NFL, as well as his former rivals, have spoken out as well.

Ryan Fitzpatrick reacts to former Titans teammate Chris Johnson's ALS diagnosis

For Ryan Fitzpatrick, the news hit especially close to home.

Although he spent just one season as teammates with Chris Johnson in Tennessee, the former quarterback looked back on a personal memory that reflected the bond the two shared beyond the football field.

"The 100th touchdown pass that I threw in the NFL was to CJ2K, and he signed the football for me and gave it to me. It says, 'To my cool White boy. Congrats on number 100," Fitzpatrick told Fox News Digital, via Ryan Morik on July 4, 2026.

Fitzpatrick mentioned the things that Johnson will have to deal with now and didn't linger on the memories.

"ALS is just such a tough thing to have to deal with, obviously for Chris and for everybody around him," Fitzpatrick added, via Ryan Morik, Fox News, July 4, 2026. 

In his public statement, Johnson said that NFL players are four times more likely than the average person to develop ALS.

Johnson says that this is because research has linked head trauma to the development of ALS. Right now, there is no cure for ALS.

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Written by

Abhay Bharti

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote