Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Marshawn Kneeland Cause of Death – What Happened to the Dallas Cowboys DE Kneeland and How Did He Die?

Cowboys' defensive end Marshawn Kneeland died of apparent suicide as investigation continues!

Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Dallas Cowboys’ defensive end Marshawn Kneeland died in the early morning hours on Thursday, November 06, at just 24 years of age. The second-year player is suspected of having committed suicide after near and dear ones appeared to have received ‘Goodbye’ messages.

Marshawn Kneeland Cause of Death

The Frisco Police Department is investigating the death of Dallas Cowboys’ defensive end Marshawn Kneeland as a possible suicide case.

As per the report released by the Frisco Police Department in Texas, the police joined the Texas Department of Public Safety at 10:39 p.m. on Wednesday, November 05, after Kneeland was successful in evading a pursuit by Troopers.

After losing sight of the vehicle, troopers were able to locate it in a crashed state near Warren Parkway. While the subject was unclear initially, he was later identified as Kneeland, who fled the scene on foot. At around 1:31 a.m. on Thursday morning, officials found Kneeland in a deceased state in what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Further information regarding the cause or manner of death is yet to be determined.

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. pic.twitter.com/4kowniiC0c
— NFL (@NFL) November 6, 2025

Marshawn Kneeland Apparent Mental Health Issues

While in pursuit of Kneeland, dispatchers were in contact with his girlfriend, from whom they learned that he had a history of mental illness. A dispatch audio was received wherein the dispatcher was updating the local police, recounting their conversation with Kneeland’s girlfriend.

“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”

A statement from Frisco Police on the death of #Cowboys DE Marshawn Kneeland: pic.twitter.com/6rhWsEEOM8
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 6, 2025

Tributes Pour In for Kneeland

Kneeland, who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, was involved in a blocked punt play, which he recovered and took to the endzone against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football (MNF).

Just days later, he passed away due to an apparent suicide and mental health issues, the cause of which is still under investigation.

This was Marshawn Kneeland on Monday night — recovering a blocked punt for a touchdown, living his dream.

Just a few days later… he’s gone.

So, so heartbreaking. 💔 pic.twitter.com/k4S4gh2P8y https://t.co/0YmjttsSwo
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) November 6, 2025

Tributes have come from everywhere for the young defensive end. The Dallas Cowboys issued a statement saying, “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 released a statement that read, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland. We have been in contact with the Cowboys and have offered support and counseling resources.”

The Thursday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders started with a minute’s silence before the opening kickoff, showing further support from the NFL community for the loss of Kneeland’s life.

Mental health issues are a major cause of suicidal deaths all over the World. In a touching message, the Frisco Police Department concluded its media release with a plea to seek help whenever required.

Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Marshawn Kneeland

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Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!