Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland dead at 24

Marshawn Kneeland, a second-year defensive end with the Dallas Cowboys, died on Thursday, the team announced. He was 24.

Update 11:53 a.m. ET, Nov. 6: Police in Frisco, Texas, said Kneeland was found dead early Thursday morning of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, The Associated Press reported.

He was found after evading officials in his vehicle and then running away from the scene of an accident.

Original report: The team did not reveal a cause of death or any other details.

“It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning,” the Cowboys said in a statement. “Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”

Kneeland, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the Cowboys’ second-round pick (56th overall) out of Western Michigan in the 2024 NFL draft.

In 18 games, he had 26 tackles and one sack.

Kneeland scored his first NFL touchdown on Monday night when he recovered a punt in the end zone during the Cowboys’ 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cowboys are on their bye week and will not return to practice until Monday.

During his final year at Western Michigan, Kneeland had a career-high 57 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He was named to the second team in the Mid-American Conference.

In 38 college games, he had 27.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, three forced fumbles and three pass deflections.

Kneeland’s mother, Wendy Kneeland, died as the defensive end was preparing for the NFL draft.

“It was definitely tough,” Kneeland said after he was drafted. “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.”

Kneeland wore his mother’s ashes on a necklace after he was drafted.

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