Michael Strahan is under fire following his interview with Tennessee Titans legend Chris Johnson.
The former New York Giants star sat down with Johnson late last month to talk about Johnson’s recent Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis. Viewers were stunned, however, as they noticed Strahan avoided asking the former running back about the correlation between ALS and playing football.
Following the interview on ABC’s morning show, several people were quick to wonder why Strahan didn’t ask Johnson about the connection between ALS and football. On Tuesday, the Good Morning America co-host appeared on the “Dan Patrick Show” and doubled down on his interview with Johnson.
NFL Fans Question Michael Strahan’s Explanation
Given the outcry around ALS and the lack of updated research around the sport of football, several fans were quick to raise questions as to why Strahan avoided touching the subject altogether.
“As an interviewer, our job is to deliver information. I’m not trying to get a bigger name for myself by putting somebody else in an uncomfortable position.”
– @michaelstrahan on his Chris Johnson interview pic.twitter.com/qTZ1WuCF0V
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) July 28, 2026
Viewers were quick to respond to Strahan’s remarks on the “Dan Patrick Show,” with most being less than pleased. Some were shocked by Strahan’s feelings towards the interview, and felt as though he was not doing his job properly, with one person calling it a “pompous response.”
What a pompous response.
— Somesportstake (@somesportstake) July 28, 2026
“I was there as a service to Chris,” is an unexpected remark from a host https://t.co/AcdngFbyJj
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) July 28, 2026
It didn’t stop there.
Isn’t the interviewer’s job to ask questions that everyone wants answered?
— Jay Fontana (@jayquintana_jr) July 28, 2026
While there were some people who thought of Strahan’s comments as distasteful, others like ESPN’s Jenna Laine sided with the former Giants star.
Why is it automatically assumed that when a journalist asks tough questions, it’s done for self-serving reasons — to make a bigger name for oneself as is suggested here — and not because it’s what the job requires? With access comes responsibility. The question has to be asked. https://t.co/bhhelMDMXa
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) July 28, 2026
Mike Florio Sheds Light on the Link Between Football and ALS
While some thought Strahan danced around the correlation between football and ALS, Mike Florio made sure to speak on this issue. During a segment on “Pro Football Talk,” Florio brought up a study conducted in 2021 that connected the condition and pro football.
“There was a study published in 2021 of all professional football players from 1960 through 1991, maybe it was longer than that. 19,000+ players. It was determined that the incidence of ALS among the 19000+ players was 4x greater than the rest of the population.”
Chris Johnson Battles with ALS
This firestorm on Strahan comes shortly after former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson went public with his ALS diagnosis late last month.
ALS is a progressive neurological disease that gradually causes paralysis by robbing people of their ability to move, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe.
The 40-year-old said in his interview with Strahan that he decided to go public with his diagnosis in hopes of helping others in the future.
“If it helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research, or gives another family hope,” Johnson said, “then it’s worth it.”
Since going public with his diagnosis, Johnson has received an outpouring of love and support from the NFL family. Most notably, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes sympathized with the former NFL running back, tweeting, “Man… Praying for CJ2K.”
