Dallas Cowboys Defensive End Marshawn Kneeland Dead At 24 In Apparent Suicide

[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]

Dallas Cowboys fans and players are mourning the tragic loss of one of their own.

Marshawn Kneeland, a defensive end for the team, passed away on Thursday morning. He was so young — only 24 years old. How heartbreaking. According to the Frisco Police Department, he was “found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound” following a police chase on Wednesday night.

Police said that at around 10:33 p.m. on Wednesday, the Texas Department of Public Safety troopers tried to stop his car for a traffic violation on the northbound lanes of the Dallas North Tollway. However, Marshawn refused to comply and fled. Troopers pursued his vehicle until they lost sight of it. Per the Frisco Police Department, minutes later, at 10:39 p.m., they found his car abandoned and crashed in the southbound lanes of the Dallas Parkway near Warren Parkway. Initial reports indicated Marshawn fled on foot from the accident.

DPS troopers, along with the Frisco police, began to search the area for the driver. And during this time, officers received information that Marshawn “had expressed suicidal ideations.” According to police dispatch audio obtained by TMZ, his girlfriend, Catalina, called the police on Wednesday night after she received a concerning message from the former Western Michigan Broncos player. A dispatcher is heard in the audio saying:

“We’re talking to the girlfriend. She’s trying to call his agent, but 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.'”

Another dispatcher later chimed in to say Marshawn’s family “received a text from him, a group text from him, saying goodbye,” adding that “they’re concerned for his welfare.” Oof. Per the dispatch audio, the same concern was reiterated after a lieutenant from the Plano Police Department called in “advising that the NFL is calling” and “the subject is texting his family goodbye.” The Dallas Morning News reported that Jerry Minton, a spokesman for the Plano Police Department, also said officers responded to a “welfare concern” at Marshawn’s home at 11:40 p.m., but they made no contact.

Sadly, police found Marshawn dead three hours later. They located him in the immediate vicinity of his car at 1:31 a.m. on Thursday with “what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.” The official cause of death has not been confirmed by the Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office yet.

So, so sad…

Following the devastating news, the Dallas Cowboys released a statement that read:

“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 NFL also expressed its condolences, saying:

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland. 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.”

Marshawn’s agent, Jonathan Perzley of Sportstars Inc., took to Instagram to express his devastation over the tragedy. He wrote:

“I am shattered to confirm that my client and dearest friend Marshawn Kneeland passed away last night. 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. 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.”

For those who don’t know, Marshawn was the Cowboys’ second-round pick out of Western Michigan during the 2024 NFL draft. He played 18 games with four starts in nearly two seasons, amassing 26 tackles and one sack. Unfortunately, as the football player was heading into the big leagues, he experienced a sudden tragedy in his family. His mother, Wendy Kneeland, passed away. Oh no. Marshawn said of her death after getting drafted:

“It was definitely tough. 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.”

Our hearts are with his loved ones. Rest in peace, Marshawn.

For resources on mental health, visit https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, help is available. Consider contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, by calling, texting, or chatting, or go to 988lifeline.org.

[Image via Dallas Cowboys/YouTube]