Demaryius Thomas had the degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, according to doctors from Boston University who had been studying the former wide receiver's brain.

Thomas, 33, was found dead in his Georgia home this past December. At the time, his family believed that seizures, which Thomas had battled since a 2019 car crash, might have led to his death.

The coroner's office in Fulton County, Georgia, has not yet ruled on the cause of death.

Neuropathologist Dr. Ann McKee, who was part of the Boston University research team, said Thomas most likely died after having a seizure -- a condition not generally associated with CTE.