Ahman Green, the Green Bay Packers’ all-time leading rusher, has publicly revealed for the first time that he was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease in January 2025.
Green, 49, disclosed the diagnosis during a podcast appearance this week, saying he had previously kept the news within his family and closest friends. He described the path to the diagnosis as one that began with subtle physical signs he had noticed for some time before seeking medical attention, including twitching in his feet while sleeping.
Once he decided to pursue answers, he connected with specialists who put him through testing and diagnostics that ultimately confirmed what he had suspected was not right. He said his doctors have told him that his presentation, at this stage, is such that without knowledge of what to look for, they might not have immediately identified it, until a closer physical examination revealed changes in his walk, his gait and the way his shoulders carry.
Living with the disease day to day
Green spoke candidly about the ways Parkinson’s has already affected his daily life, with short-term memory presenting the clearest ongoing challenge. He described having to develop deliberate strategies for something as basic as learning a new person’s name, repeating it back, writing it down, and following up if those methods fail. He said he is not going to let the disease control him and framed his approach as one of active management rather than passive acceptance.
His response has centered on two pillars. He has adjusted his diet and what he described as a cleansing of his body, viewing food as a meaningful part of his treatment. Alongside that, he has maintained the medical protocol prescribed by his doctors, including medication, and he said he is ahead of where the disease might otherwise be at this point.
That assessment comes in part from the doctors who have examined him, who indicated that his condition’s visible signs, while present to a trained eye, are mild enough that without the full context of what they know, he might appear to be in strong health at first glance.
A second Packers legend from the same era
Green is at least the second prominent player from his time with the Packers to publicly disclose a Parkinson’s diagnosis. Quarterback Brett Favre revealed in 2024 that he had received the same diagnosis. That two players from the same team and the same era have come forward with the condition is a coincidence that has added texture to the conversation around the disease among former NFL players.
Green said he believes Parkinson’s should be an open and ongoing topic of discussion in the former player community. He described the need to put it upfront and to keep it part of the conversation rather than something people keep private until circumstances force the disclosure.
The records and the legacy
Green holds three major Packers rushing records that have stood for years. He holds the franchise marks for career rushing yards with 8,322, rushing yards in a single season with 1,883 during the 2003 season, and rushing yards in a single game with 218, also set in 2003, against the Denver Broncos.
He came to Green Bay through a trade from the Seattle Seahawks and played for the Packers from 2000 through 2006 before a stint with the Houston Texans. He returned to Green Bay for a second run and it was during that 2009 return that he broke Jim Taylor’s longtime franchise record for career rushing yards, cementing his place as the most prolific rusher in Packers history.
His decision to speak publicly about his diagnosis, after nearly six months of keeping it within his inner circle, extends a conversation that has been growing around neurological health and former professional football players. Parkinson’s disease and its potential connections to head trauma and football careers have been subjects of increasing medical and public interest, and Green’s willingness to discuss his own experience adds another voice to that conversation.
He said he has control of the situation and intends to keep it that way.
