"AB def has CTE if he does" - NFL fans react to news of Demaryius Thomas suffering from Stage 2 CTE when he died

Late last year, former NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was found dead at his home. The tragedy shook the league, most notably the Denver Broncos, with whom Thomas spent most of his 10-year career.

It was only recently discovered that Thomas suffered from Stage 2 CTE. It's a progressive brain condition that's widely thought to be caused by repeated blows to the head and concussions.

NFL fans reacted to this news, with one New England Patriots fan fearing for a currently active wide receiver.

Antonio Brown has been in the news several times over the past few seasons for erratic behavior, which is what Chris Nowinski said Thomas suffered from.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v New York Jets

An NFL fan believes that Brown can likely trace his brain problems back to one devastating hit from then-Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontez Burfict.

A Buffalo Bills fan thinks that Brown is in trouble.

A Cleveland Browns fan believes this diagnosis should be a wakeup call for the NFL.

One NFL fan didn't mince words.

Another commenter noted that Thomas didn't have many head injuries reported over his career, which is frightening and sad.

Another fan thinks the reality is that football will never be safe.

Some fans are starting to see football's most prominent issue more clearly.

One in particular thinks football goes beyond other sports and can seriously harm players.

A Broncos fan just hopes Thomas' death isn't for nothing.

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NFL star Demaryius Thomas' diagnosis

According to Ken Belson of the New York Times:

"Those closest to [Thomas] said his behavior became increasingly erratic in the last year of his life, which was marked by the memory loss, paranoia and isolation that are hallmarks of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head hits."

They went on to say that although he was posthumously diagnosed with Stage 2 CTE, his life was also complicated by seizures from a car crash in 2019.

Because of this, his death cannot be solely linked to CTE, though it is clear that the brain condition did not help extend his life.

CTE has plagued many football players during and after their careers, causing some to die. Junior Seau, Andre Waters and Dave Duerson all committed suicide and were diagnosed with CTE.

Jovan Belcher, who was just 25, killed his girlfriend and himself and was diagnosed with the disease. Aaron Hernandez also had CTE.

Philip Adams recently murdered six people, including his wife and two grandchildren. Vincent Jackson was also diagnosed with a mild case after his death.