Steve McMichael Posthumously Diagnosed With CTE

Overview

• The Concussion & CTE Foundation confirmed the diagnosis Tuesday after analyzing his donated brain, the only way to diagnose the disease.
• His widow, Misty McMichael, said she donated his brain to drive research on a possible link between ALS and CTE.
• Researchers reported stage three of four CTE and noted ALS-related TDP-43 changes in his brainstem and spinal cord.
• A 2021 Harvard and Boston University study found NFL players are more than four times likelier to develop ALS, and Dr. Ann McKee says evidence ties repeated head trauma to the disease.
• McMichael was a 2024 Hall of Famer who played 191 straight games for the Bears and recorded 92.5 sacks, and he died April 23, 2025 after nearly five years with ALS.