TMZ Sports · Sep 23, 2025
Ex-NFL Star Rudi Johnson Dead At 45
Launch GalleryRemembering Rudi Johnson Launch Gallery GettyRemembering Rudi JohnsonFormer Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson has died.
A family source for the ex-NFL star tells TMZ Sports ... he passed away this week.
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A cause of death is not yet known ... but we're told he had been recently struggling with mental health issues and the possible effects of CTE that he could not overcome.
The family source says prior to his death, Johnson was doing everything he could to help people on and off the field ... and that's what mattered most to him.
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He was 45 years old.