Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland died Thursday morning, the team announced.
“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 team said in a statement.
He was 24.
The team did not disclose any details of how Kneeland died.
Kneeland was the Cowboys’ second-round pick out of Western Michigan in 2024, No. 56 overall. In Monday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals, he scored the Cowboys’ first touchdown, recovering a blocked punt in the end zone.
The Cowboys are on their bye week and are not scheduled to return to practice until Monday.
He missed two games this season due to injury and was credited with 15 tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries. As a rookie, he missed six games with a knee injury and had 17 tackles, two tackles for loss, 13 quarterback pressures, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.
Kneeland set records for tackles, sacks and tackles for loss at Godwin Heights High School in Wyoming, Michigan, before attending Western Michigan. In 38 collegiate games. He had 27.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, three forced fumbles and three pass deflections. He was a second-team All-Mid-American Conference pick in 2023, finishing with 57 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in nine games.
He is the second Cowboys player to die during the season in recent years. In 2012, linebacker Jerry Brown died in a car crash in which teammate Josh Brent was driving.
By ESPN
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