On Thursday morning, the Dallas Cowboys announced that defensive end Marshawn Kneeland had died.
“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,” a statement from the Cowboys organization reads.
A pair of press releases from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Frisco (Texas) Police Department shed more light on the circumstances of Kneeland’s death.
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers attempted to stop a car after a traffic violation. That car did not stop, and after a pursuit, troopers lost sight of it.
Minutes later, according to the Frisco Police, the vehicle was found after it was involved in a crash with reports of a suspect fleeing on foot. Authorities searched the area and discovered Kneeland dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.
The statement from the Frisco Police Department states that they had received information that Kneeland had “expressed suicidal ideations.”
According to a report from TMZ, Kneeland’s girlfriend can be heard telling police about a concerning message from him and that he would “end it all.”
The NFL also reportedly reached out to the Plano Police Department to voice concern, with dispatchers saying that the “subject is texting his family goodbye.”
Kneeland’s final NFL game was on Monday night in the Cowboys’ 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. In it, he scored a touchdown on a blocked punt.
Kneeland played his college football at Western Michigan and was selected by Dallas in the 2nd round (56th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft.
