Michael Strahan has decided he won’t let internet commentary dictate how he navigated one of the most delicate interviews of his career.
The Hall of Fame pass rusher turned television host is pushing back at critics who claim he mishandled a recent sit-down.
Some argued that he dropped the ball by not asking the questions everyone wanted to hear.
Strahan sat down with former NFL running back Chris Johnson following Johnson’s ALS diagnosis during the June 29 edition of “Good Morning America.”
The conversation drew fire from viewers who felt Strahan should have steered the discussion toward CTE and the sport’s concussion crisis rather than Johnson’s personal journey.
‘Way Overdue’: NFL Fans Lash Out at Tennessee Titans for Timing of Chris Johnson Honor Following His Reveal of Life-Threatening Disease Diagnosis
Strahan laid out his stance during a July 28 appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show.”
He said, “I heard what everyone was saying, ‘Well you should’ve asked this, you should’ve asked that,’” before replying with a pointed remark.
“Well, you should have done the interview. How about that?” he added.
Johnson, a former Tennessee Titans standout and 2009 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, disclosed during the interview that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease known as ALS, according to E! Online.
Former NFL player, Chris Johnson, one of the fastest running backs in history reveals ALS diagnosis at just 39 years old in an emotional GMA interview with Michael Strahan.
Chris speaks in the interview using an eye-tracking speech-generating device.
Michael Strahan: You’ve… pic.twitter.com/7wxcVDudS2— geezer (@0xgeezer) July 2, 2026
The conversation was raw and intimate, with Johnson opening up about how the diagnosis has upended his life and what it means for his family’s future.
Viewers felt Strahan missed a genuine opportunity, arguing he should have questioned whether years of on-field collisions contributed to Johnson’s condition.
Harvard and Boston University’s CTE Center have linked long NFL careers with a heightened ALS risk. Weeks earlier, the Concussion & CTE Foundation found NFL players are four times more likely to die from ALS, dementia or Parkinson’s.
“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
“That was Chris’ moment for Chris to share the story which Chris wanted to share,” Strahan explained. “And when I got the call that Chris wanted to share that he has ALS, that was the story. It wasn’t for me to try to grandstand.”
He stressed that he isn’t the type to advance his own.profile by forcing an awkward moment.
“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. I was there as a service to Chris, for what Chris wanted people to understand and know about his life and where he was now.”
The former New York Giants defensive end noted that football wasn’t completely off the table; it simply wasn’t the centerpiece critics wanted.
“I did ask Chris about football, how the NFL has supported him and all that,” Strahan said, adding that Johnson’s twin sons currently play the sport. “The headlines were about Chris, which is where they needed to be.”
The online dialogue continued.
“Isn’t it the interviewer’s duty to pose questions that everyone wants answered?” one X user wrote.
“A lot of deflection here by big Mike. It wouldn’t have hurt to ask,” another added.
Daily Mail readers were split, though.
“This was Chris Johnson’s interview… he wanted to tell his story. Strahan was right,” said one supporter.
Another commented, “So Johnson was supposed to be an expert now because of his diagnosis? The man was sharing his story, not becoming a lab rat.”
“I saw it, it was a good interview and I learned something. In an interview with someone whose days are numbered, I thought Strahan was careful and steered the conversation in a constructive direction,” another added.
The debate surrounding football and brain disease has intensified in recent years. More than 400 former NFL players have been diagnosed with CTE after death, including Hall of Famers Junior Seau, Mike Webster, Ken Stabler, and Frank Gifford. CTE can only be confirmed posthumously, but researchers have linked repeated head trauma to memory loss, depression and dementia.
Even NFL legend Jim Brown hasn’t escaped scrutiny. Brown’s daughter is challenging his estate in court, alleging he suffered CTE-related decline before signing documents before his passing.
Strahan remains confident in his decision to keep Johnson’s story at the center.
“Overall, I’m very proud of what we did there on ABC in bringing that story to light,” he stated. “I’m proud and grateful that Chris trusted us to tell it because that was Chris’ story to tell.”
He left critics with one final remark.
“I don’t make any of these things about myself,” Strahan concluded. “That was the disappointing aspect for a few people who criticized that interview. But if you don’t have critics, it also means you’re not doing a good job.”
