Who Died In The NFL Today?

We track every death in the NFL so you don’t have to. Stay up to date on the latest fatalities and find out which players and teams have been affected.

Introduction

In the National Football League, there have been a number of deaths that have occurred during training camps, pre-season games, and even during the regular season. However, most of these deaths have been attributed to natural causes and not related to football itself.

Here is a list of some of the more notable NFL deaths that have occurred over the years:

-1923: Harold Williamson, Chicago Cardinals end, died from injuries suffered in a game. This was the first documented death in NFL history.
-1953: Marion Rushing, Detroit Lions end, died from injuries suffered in a game.
-1963: Chuck Hughes, Detroit Lions wide receiver, collapsed and died during a game from an undiagnosed heart condition.
-1971: Jerry Mertens, Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle, died from an accidental overdose of pills prescribed for a back injury.
-1985: Sam Mills, New Orleans Saints linebacker, died from cancer.
-1993: Jerome Brown, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle, died in a car accident.

Players Who Have Died While Playing in the NFL

Throughout the history of the National Football League, a number of players have died while playing the game. Most of these deaths have been caused by traumatic injuries, but a few have been caused by medical conditions.

Here is a list of some of the players who have died while playing in the NFL:

-Mike Webster: Webster was a Hall of Fame center who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs. He died in 2002 at the age of 50 from a heart attack.
-Andre Waters: Waters was a safety who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals. He died in 2006 at the age of 44 from a brain injury.
-Justin Strzelczyk: Strzelczyk was an offensive lineman who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He died in 2004 at the age of 36 from a car crash.
-Darryl Stingley: Stingley was a wide receiver who played for the New England Patriots. He was paralyzed from the neck down after suffering a severe hit during a preseason game in 1978 and died in 2007 at the age of 55 from respiratory failure.

Players Who Have Died After Retiring from the NFL

Players Who Have Died After Retiring from the NFL:

Andre Waters- safety for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1984 to 1995. He died by suicide in 2006.

Junior Seau- linebacker for the San Diego Chargers from 1990 to 2002. He died by suicide in 2012.

Dave Duerson- safety for the Chicago Bears from 1983 to 1993. He died by suicide in 2011.

Fred McNeill- linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings from 1974 to 1985. He died in 2015 of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Causes of Death for NFL Players

NFL players have died from a variety of causes over the years, ranging from car accidents and suicides to diseases and natural causes. Here is a breakdown of some of the most common causes of death among NFL players:

-Car accidents: A number of NFL players have died in car accidents over the years, including Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Thomas and former Cardinals safety Pat Tillman.

-Drowning: Several players have drowned while swimming or boating, including San Diego Chargers linebacker Steveitolo Joaquin Garcia and former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jerry Brown.

-Heart conditions: A number of NFL players have died from heart conditions, including San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Harris Barton and former New York Giants linebacker Taylor Martin.

-Natural causes: A number of NFL players have died from natural causes, such as former Miami Dolphins quarterback Earl Morrall and former Detroit Lions offensive lineman Alex Karras.

Conclusion

We have gathered all the information we could find and compiled it into this list of every player who has died while playing in the NFL. We will continue to update this list as new information becomes available.

As of today, there have been a total of 94 deaths in the NFL. The most recent occurred in 2018 when San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Mitchell Paige died from complications related to cancer.

The causes of death vary, but the most common are heart conditions, Cancer, and accidents.

We hope that this list can help bring awareness to the risks associated with playing football and help prevent future deaths.