Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson has passed away at the age of 45, as confirmed by the Bengals organization on September 23, 2025. He reportedly died by suicide in Florida earlier that week. Johnson had been struggling with mental health issues and was believed to have been suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition associated with repeated head trauma that can only be diagnosed posthumously. Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson has passed away at the age of 45, as confirmed by the Bengals organization on September 23, 2025. He reportedly died by suicide in Florida earlier that week. Johnson had been struggling with mental health issues and was believed to have been suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition associated with repeated head trauma that can only be diagnosed posthumously. #RudiJohnson #CincinnatiBengals #NFLNews #MentalHealthAwareness #CTE #FootballCommunity #SportsNews #RememberingLegends #newsone
