Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre said he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease on Tuesday.
Favre made the revelation as part of his testimony about a welfare spending scandal in Mississippi.
Favre, who is not criminally charged, repaid just over $1 million in speaking fees paid for by a state welfare program and was also an investor in a biotech company linked to the case.
The biotech company said it is developing treatments for concussions.
The former star quarterback told the committee he lost his investment in the company “that I believed was developing a breakthrough drug for concussions and would help others.”
“As you can probably understand, even though it’s too late for me – I was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s – it’s also a cause that’s close to my heart,” Favre added.
The causes of Parkinson’s disease are unknown, and it’s unclear whether Favre’s condition is related to his football career or to head injuries. He said in 2022 that he estimated he suffered “thousands” of concussions during his two decades in the NFL.
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