The scientific debates between human-induced climate change and sports-induced Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) are eerily similar:
...a consensus statement issued by two dozen neuroscientists, [noted] that CTE has "only been found in individuals who were exposed to brain trauma, typically multiple episodes."
...until researchers are able to study football players over time, including issues such a genetics and substance abuse, it will be impossible to assert whether head trauma is the main cause of CTE in football.