CANTON, OH – San Francisco 49ers great and 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Roger Craig revealed during his induction speech that he has been diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia.
According to the Mayo Clinic, vascular dementia – also known as vascular cognitive impairment – describes changes in thinking and memory that occur when there isn't enough blood flow to part of the brain
Doctors told Craig, he said, that the diagnosis could be "related, at least in part, to concussions from my career."
The changes were gradual and easy to dismiss due to aging, Craig said. But he noticed daily life becoming more difficult, and eventually his family noticed.