Bradshaw Admits Rheumatoid Arthritis Spread After Radiation Treatment for Cancer
"I have rheumatoid arthritis. Now, if I were still on my rheumatoid arthritis medicine, which I haven't been for 3 years now, I probably wouldn't be having the pain that I'm having. You can't take the rheumatoid arthritis after you have radiation."
About this episode
Joe Rogan sat down with NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw for a wide-ranging and unexpectedly candid conversation that veered from football brutality to bourbon, faith, and the dark underbelly of 1970s professional sports. Bradshaw, now 76 and still working as a Fox Sports analyst, opened up about the shocking medical practices of his playing days, revealing that he once played an entire playoff game after being knocked unconscious in the first quarter and that teams routinely lined players up to be injected with unidentified substances before games. The four-time Super Bowl champion also disclosed ongoing health battles including rheumatoid arthritis that spread after cancer treatment forced him off medication, and confessed he refuses modern stem cell therapy despite chronic pain, citing his faith and skepticism. The conversation took lighter turns through stories of fishing with a baby Jesus figurine, getting burglarized six times and shot at with a shotgun, and Bradshaw's 43-year career giving corporate speeches that now command top dollar. Throughout, Bradshaw displayed the self-deprecating humor and Southern storytelling that made him a broadcasting icon, while offering rare glimpses into the physical and psychological toll of football's most punishing era. Rogan pushed back on several of Bradshaw's medical stances, particularly around stem cells and ivermectin, creating moments of genuine tension mixed with laughter as the two navigated their differences.
Key takeaways
- Bradshaw revealed entire lineups of NFL players in the 1970s were injected with unknown substances he called 'stuff' before games without questioning what it was.
- He disclosed playing an entire playoff game unconscious, getting knocked out in the first quarter and not regaining awareness until the fourth quarter.
- Bradshaw refuses stem cell treatment for severe hip and arthritis pain despite Rogan describing his own successful rotator cuff repair via stem cells.
- His rheumatoid arthritis spread from knees to hands after he had to stop medication due to radiation treatment for bladder and Merkel cell cancer.
- Bradshaw has been burglarized six times across his Louisiana ranches and was once shot at with a shotgun loaded with BBs while fleeing an intruder.
- He has been giving corporate speeches for 43 years, starting at $1,200 and now commanding premium fees, traveling 250 days per year.
- Bradshaw launched Terry Bradshaw Bourbon 12 years ago, with his 12-year aged whiskey winning multiple spirits awards despite limited distribution in 11 states.