Days before his death, former Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson recorded a video apologizing for missing the Chesterfield Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Johnson attended high school in Chesterfield County, Va., where he began playing football at the age of 6. In his video, Johnson acknowledged all the coaches who helped him eventually make his way to the NFL, where he spent seven seasons with the Bengals. He did not provide a reason for his absence.
At the end of the video, Johnson promised he would be on the lookout for the next superstar to come out of Chesterfield County. Sadly, he died at the age of 45 on Sept. 23, 2025. Several comments under a YouTube video of Johnson’s final message say that it felt as if he was saying goodbye. Here’s what we know about his cause of death.
Rudi Johnson’s cause of death has yet to be revealed.
Details surrounding Johnson’s cause of death have not been made available to the public, but Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office detective Joseph R. Peguero Rivera told CNN, “All indications are leading to (death by) suicide.” The investigation is ongoing, but foul play has been ruled out. All we know so far is that Miami-Dade Fire Rescue was called to Johnson’s house in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., around 11:13 a.m. for an “adult trauma alert patient.”
Bengals President Mike Brown said in a statement, “He was dependable and productive as a player, and very popular among his teammates. Everyone liked him and saw him as a dear friend. We are deeply saddened by his passing,” per NBC News.
Johnson’s agent, Peter Schaffer, said he was heartbroken by his client’s passing. “He was a man who disdained self-promotion and avoided the spotlight of social media, yet his presence was always felt through his positivity, energy, and generosity.”
Did Rudi Johnson have CTE?
Schaffer hopes Johnson’s death will jumpstart more research into the dangers of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. “These tragic circumstances must also serve as a call to action,” he said. “The NFL and the scientific community must do more — more research into CTE, more innovation into how we can treat it, prevent it, and provide support to those living with it. Players past, present, and future deserve nothing less.”
A CTE diagnosis cannot be made on a living person, so we can’t confirm whether or not Johnson was suffering from it. A family source told TMZ Sports that Johnson had been struggling with his mental health and attributed that to possible side effects from CTE, a “brain disease likely caused from repeated head injuries,” as defined by the Mayo Clinic.
Bengals star Rudi Johnson signed a piece of paper for a random kid at a Halloween store. That kid hung it up on his wall as motivation for his NFL dream. So who was that kid? Future Bengals star Sam Hubbard. RIP Rudi. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/QvDhzkwgbY
— Brandon Saho (@BrandonSaho) September 23, 2025
Following the news of Johnson’s death, social media was filled with condolences and memories from former colleagues, friends, and strangers. Chad Ochocinco posted a photo of himself with Johnson, writing on X,” Rest well Rudi J,” with a dove emoji. Johnson played college football at Auburn, who described him as, “One of the best to ever wear the orange and blue,” in a post to X.
There are also stories of people who met and were inspired by Johnson. Sam Hubbard, who also spent seven years with the Bengals, was a guest on Brandon Saho’s podcast, where he told a story about meeting Johnson as a kid. He ran into Johnson at a Halloween Express in Kenwood, Ohio, where he got an autograph from the running back. “I put it on my wall,” said Hubbard, who revealed it’s still there. “I thought it was the best item I owned.”
