Cowboys' Marshawn Kneeland found dead of apparent suicide after evading officers, police say

The Associated Press

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 10:29 AM EST | Last Updated: November 7

WARNING: This communicative contains mention of suicide.

Police successful a Dallas suburb accidental 24-year-old Dallas Cowboys antiaircraft extremity Marshawn Kneeland was recovered dormant of an evident termination aft evading authorities successful his conveyance and fleeing the country of an mishap connected foot.

Frisco constabulary said Thursday they are investigating the suicide. They said Kneeland didn't halt for Texas Department of Public Safety troopers implicit a postulation usurpation successful a pursuit that was joined by Frisco constabulary connected Wednesday night.

Authorities mislaid show of the conveyance earlier locating it crashed minutes later. During the hunt aft Kneeland fled the clang tract connected foot, officers said they received connection that Kneeland mightiness beryllium suicidal.

As authorities were looking for Kneeland, a dispatcher told officers that radical who knew him had received a radical substance from Kneeland "saying goodbye. They're acrophobic for his welfare," according to recordings from Broadcastify, which archives nationalist information vigor feeds.

"We're talking to the girlfriend. She's trying to telephone his agent. But we're trying to get her to telephone him first. But she's saying helium is equipped and has a past of intelligence illness. And her punctuation was, `He volition extremity it all,"' different dispatcher told officers.

He was recovered dormant of a self-inflicted gunshot coiled aboriginal Thursday morning, astir 3 hours aft the crash, constabulary said without specifying wherever Kneeland's assemblage was found. In the recordings from Broadcastify, officers said they had tried to get successful interaction with Kneeland by calling and texting him and had utilized a drone to effort and find him aft the crash.

Kneeland's decease came conscionable days aft helium recovered a blocked punt successful the extremity portion for a touchdown successful a 27-17 nonaccomplishment to the Arizona Cardinals.

Kneeland was successful his 2nd play with the Cowboys. He was a 2024 second-round draught prime retired of Western Michigan.

"I americium shattered to corroborate that my lawsuit and dearest person Marshawn Kneeland passed distant past night," Kneeland's agent, Jonathan Perzley, said successful a connection that asked for privacy. "Marshawn poured his bosom into each snap, each signifier and each infinitesimal connected the field. To suffer idiosyncratic with his talent, tone and goodness is simply a symptom I tin hardly enactment into words."

Kneeland's rookie play was disconnected to a promising commencement earlier helium was sidelined for 5 games by a genu injury.

Kneeland had his archetypal vocation sack successful the play opener this twelvemonth against Philadelphia. He played successful 7 games this season, missing 2 with an ankle injury.

"Marshawn was a beloved teammate and subordinate of our organization," the Cowboys said. "Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his woman Catalina and his family."

The Cowboys person often sought walk rushers and different antiaircraft linemen successful the archetypal 2 rounds of the draft. Kneeland was drafted a twelvemonth aft antiaircraft extremity Sam Williams was taken by Dallas successful the 2nd round. Williams blocked the punt that Kneeland recovered against the Cardinals.

Kneeland's mother, Wendy Kneeland, died abruptly portion helium was preparing for the draft. He had his mother's ashes successful a necklace helium wore aft joining the Cowboys, according to The Dallas Morning News.

"We are profoundly saddened by the tragic quality of the passing of Cowboys' Marshawn Kneeland," the NFL said. "We person been successful interaction with the Cowboys and person offered enactment and counselling resources."

Miami Dolphins receivers manager Robert Prince, who had the aforesaid presumption with the Cowboys erstwhile Kneeland was a rookie past year, had tears successful his eyes arsenic helium met with reporters Thursday.

"We spent a batch of clip [together] erstwhile helium was injured and moving retired successful the value room," Prince said. "We'd sprout the breeze. He was a Western Michigan kid and I coached with the Lions for a portion truthful we had immoderate Michigan-type stories. Good kid. I'm atrocious to perceive that astir him."

Kneeland had a career-high 57 tackles on with 4 1/2 sacks successful 9 games arsenic a elder astatine Western Michigan.

"My bosom is perfectly breached implicit the nonaccomplishment of Marshawn Kneeland," Western Michigan manager Lance Taylor said. "His leadership, vigor and grin were infectious, and helium near a lasting interaction connected everyone successful our program. Having coached him during my archetypal play here, we developed a peculiar enslaved that went acold beyond football."

Tributes poured successful from astir the NFL, including Tennessee Titans antiaircraft tackle Jeffery Simmons, who raised the taxable of termination consciousness with a newsman during grooming campy this year.

"It sucks seeing the quality of our NFL brother!" Simmons wrote connected X. "Even erstwhile idiosyncratic is carrying the biggest smile, marque definite to conscionable cheque successful connected them. You conscionable ne'er cognize man. Don't beryllium acrophobic to inquire for help, we each spell done things that we sometimes hide!"

Two of Kneeland's Dallas teammates, backmost Dak Prescott and antiaircraft lineman Solomon Thomas, had siblings who died by termination and person foundations supporting termination consciousness and prevention. Thomas' sister, Ella, was the aforesaid property arsenic Kneeland.