Football is back. A new CTE study asks what it costs.
Football is back. A new CTE study asks what it costs.  
Podcast: Reasonably Optimistic
Published On: Fri Aug 28 2026
Description: Football season is back, bringing millions of Americans together around one of the country’s most beloved sports. But new research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, raises an uncomfortable question: What price are players paying for our entertainment?Host Megan McArdle explores the physical and cognitive toll of football and what responsibility fans have when they turn on a game.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.