Former Bengals RB Rudi Johnson dies at 45 amid conflicting accounts

Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson died earlier this week at age 45, a family source said Tuesday, prompting an outpouring of condolences from the NFL community. Authorities and Johnson’s family have offered differing details about the circumstances of his death, and no single official cause has been publicly confirmed by the family.

A police statement provided to reporters said Johnson died by suicide a little after midnight Tuesday. The family source and other close contacts told reporters Johnson had been struggling with mental health issues and the possible effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in the months prior to his death. The family source also said Johnson spent his final days focused on helping others and supporting community programs he had long championed. The family has not released further medical or investigative findings.

Johnson rose to prominence after being selected by Cincinnati in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons with the Bengals and finished his career with the Detroit Lions in 2008. During his tenure in Cincinnati he became a key figure in the franchise’s mid-2000s resurgence, earning a Pro...