Marshawn Kneeland death: New details emerge around the passing of Dallas Cowboys DE

The NFL and the Dallas Cowboys suffered a tragedy this week with the passing of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. Now, there are new details coming out surrounding what led to his death.

Nick Harris of the Fort Worth-Star Telegram has spoken to the Plano Police Department. Harris reports officers responded to a “welfare concern” at Kneeland’s residence at 11:40 p.m. CT on Wednesday. Officers did not make contact with anyone at the residence, per Harris.

Both the Dallas Cowboys and Kneeland’s agent released statements confirming his passing on Thursday morning. This had followed rumors circulating on social media about his death.

“I am shattered to confirm that my client and dearest friend Marshawn Kneeland passed away last night. I watched him fight his way from a hopeful kid at Western Michigan with a dream to being a respected professional for the Dallas Cowboys. Marshawn poured his heart into every snap, every practice, and every moment on the field. To lose someone with his talent, spirit, and goodness is a pain I can hardly put into words. My heart aches for his family, his teammates, and everyone who loved him,” his agent, Jon Perzley wrote. “And I hope they feel the support of the entire football community during this unimaginable time. I ask that you please give his loved ones the privacy and compassion they need as they grieve this tremendous loss.”

A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Marshawn Kneeland was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2019. He would go on to attend Western Michigan and had been the 2,773rd-ranked player overall and the 240th-ranked edge rusher in that recruiting cycle. While there from 2019 to 2023, he earned several honors, including being named a Second-Team All-MAC selection in 2023. From there, he was able to parlay that into being a second round selection and the 56th overall pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning,” the Dallas Cowboys said in a brief 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.”

In his NFL career, Kneeland played in 18 games over two seasons, including four games that he started. In that time, he had 26 career tackles, five tackles for a loss, and 1.0 sacks.

Marshawn Kneeland will be remembered by all those who knew him and the Cowboys organization. He was just 24 years old.