Overview

• TMZ first reported Johnson’s death this week, attributing the information to a family source.
• The New York Post says police told TMZ the death was a suicide shortly after midnight Tuesday, a detail not yet confirmed by a coroner or medical examiner.
• Coverage notes the family had described Johnson’s recent struggles with mental health and possible effects of CTE.
• Johnson set Bengals single-season rushing records in 2004 and 2005, earned a 2004 Pro Bowl nod, and later finished his NFL career with the Lions in 2008.
• He founded the Rudi Johnson Foundation in 2005 to support children and families, a philanthropic focus highlighted in tributes.