Chris Johnson’s wife reveals ‘the hardest part’ about ex-NFL star’s tragic ALS battle
Chris Johnson’s wife, Brittany, was candid on her role as his full-time caregiver after the former All-Pro running back was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in May 2025.
During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Chris and Brittany, who’ve been married for 10 years, shared some of the behind-the-scenes of their life as his condition deteriorates due to the incurable disease.
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive disease in which a person’s brain loses connection with the muscles, slowly taking away their ability to walk, talk, eat and eventually breathe.
“The hardest part is just watching little pieces of him be torn away and just trying to imagine exactly what it is that he’s feeling. And then immediately after that, it’s the kids,” Brittany said of their 8-year-old daughter Honey and 14-year-old twin boys Kaden and Chris Jr.
“So much has been taken from them in a short period of time. We were a really full family that did so many things. A lot of those things were physical. Chris is very hands-on with the kids and their sports, and he was very big on exercising. Honey would go out on five-mile walks with him, and sometimes she would give up, but she enjoyed those things. If it wasn’t that, then every day there’s practice, and then on the weekend there’s the games. He’s always been right there on the sidelines, coaching them.”
The 40-year-old Johnson can no longer speak, and he has a bypass machine that pumps oxygen every four seconds, according to Sports Illustrated.
He can’t keep his head fully upright and he can’t take a step without significant assistance. His meals and nutritional supplements are fed to him by Brittany.
Johnson communicates with a device that he controls with his eye movements. He recorded his voice to incorporate it into the device before he lost his ability to speak.
Most days are filled with physical therapy, doctors appointments and taking vitamins and trial meds in an effort to slow the progression of his disease.
Chris and Brittany wake up at 8 a.m., and he uses the bathroom with assistance and has his teeth brushed. After that, he spends two hours being stretched to keep his muscles functional.
In the afternoons, he has physical therapy or a massage four or five days a week. His evenings consist of dinner, spending time with his kids and the twins’ football practices.
“I think about the future with hope,” Brittany said. “Of course, some days those little negative feelings creep in and you try to imagine what life would be like if something were to happen, but I try not to focus on that. I pray every day for a miracle that he could be healed from this.
“I don’t try to think about him not being here. I can’t even imagine a life without him being here, especially with the kids being so young. Honey is only 8. When he was diagnosed, she was only 7 years old. So, yes, I do think about the future, but I think about it in a way that a breakthrough will happen. There will be a treatment that will keep him here with us for as long as possible or as God sees fit for him to be here.”
Last May, Chris and Brittany were given the official diagnosis by neurologist James Wymer at the Moran Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases in Gainesville.
At the time, Chris, who was active and enjoyed working out, noticed that his right hand felt weak, and he was struggling to grip the weights at his gym.
Chris first went public with his ALS diagnosis during a “Good Morning America” interview with Giants great Michael Strahan in late June.
Johnson retired in 2018 after a 10-year career that included three Pro Bowls.
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