Marshawn Kneeland, a defensive end for the Cowboys, has died at the age of 24, the team announced Thursday morning.
Kneeland died Wednesday night by suicide after a police chase, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
DPS troopers tried to stop Kneeland’s vehicle for a traffic violation. Kneeland refused to stop, which led to a pursuit, but troopers lost sight of the vehicle. The car was later found abandoned and involved in a crash, and Kneeland was found dead in a portable toilet nearby from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, DPS said.
Kneeland’s girlfriend told 911 operators that he was “armed” and she was concerned he would “end it all,” according to audio obtained by TMZ Sports.
“We’re talking to the girlfriend, she’s trying to call the agent, so we’re trying to get her to call him first but she’s saying he is armed and has a history of mental illness, and her quote was, ‘He will end it all,’ ” the dispatcher said in the two-minute-plus audio.
Kneeland, a 2024 second-round pick, played 17 snaps during the Cowboys’ loss to the Cardinals on Monday night. He scored a touchdown on a blocked punt in the 27-17 defeat.
“I watched him fight his way from a hopeful kid at Western Michigan with a dream to being a respected professional for the Dallas Cowboys,” Kneeland’s agent, Jon Perzley, said in a statement. “Marshawn poured his heart into every snap, every practice, and every moment on the field. To lose someone with his talent, spirit, and goodness is a pain I can hardly put into words.
“My heart aches for his family, his teammates, and everyone who loved him, and I hope they feel the support of the entire football community during this unimaginable time. I ask that you please give his loved ones the privacy and compassion they need as they grieve this tremendous loss.”
He was said to have group-texted family “saying goodbye.”
“It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning. Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family,” the Cowboys said in a statement.
After starring at Godwin Heights HS in Wyoming, Mich., Kneeland recorded 13 sacks at Western Michigan from 2019-23.
Kneeland lost his mother, Wendy, unexpectedly last February to a reported accidental overdose, two months before he was taken at No. 56 overall in 2024 draft out of Western Michigan.
At the draft in Detroit, he carried the ashes of his mother in a vertically shaped urn, no bigger than two inches, on a chain around his neck, according to the Dallas Morning News.
“It was definitely tough,” Kneeland said of his mother’s passing last June. “I just managed it. She helped me a lot in my younger years getting into football. I always had the dream. I always told her, ‘I’m going to the NFL’ and I made it.
“It’s a hard situation just knowing she got to see me potentially going to the NFL and going through [the process]. She’s still with me. I got this urn of her ashes I carry with me everywhere. I still feel like she’s there watching over me.”
He played in 11 games as a rookie last season and seven games this season, recording one sack.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland,” the NFL said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his girlfriend Catalina, family, friends and his teammates. We have been in contact with the Cowboys and have offered support and counseling resources.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for free and confidential crisis counseling.
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