The Dallas Cowboys say second-year defensive end Marshawn Kneeland has died at 24. Officials said he was found dead in Frisco from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
DALLAS — Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was found dead at 24 of a “self-inflicted gunshot wound” following a pursuit and crash in Frisco Thursday, officials say.
The Dallas Cowboys announced his death in a statement Thursday morning, calling Kneeland a “beloved teammate and member of our organization.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said troopers tried to conduct a traffic stop shortly after 10:33 p.m. Nov. 5. on a vehicle in the southbound lanes of the Dallas North Tollway near Keller Springs Road in Dallas. DPS said the driver, later identified as Kneeland, allegedly refused to stop, leading troopers to chase the vehicle until they lost sight of it and the chase was terminated.
According to the Frisco Police Department, its officers responded to a 10:39 p.m. assist call from DPS to help troopers located Kneeland’s vehicle. Minutes later, police said, the vehicle was found abandoned after a crash along the southbound lanes of the Dallas Parkway near Warren Parkway in Frisco, some 10 miles north of where the initial traffic stop occurred.
Police said initial scene reports indicated that Kneeland had left the scene of the crash on foot, prompting a multi-agency search of the area with police, K-9 units and drones. During the course of their search for Kneeland, Frisco Police said officers received information that the Dallas Cowboys player had “expressed suicidal ideations.”
Plano police said in a statement that they responded to a welfare concern at a Plano address associated with Kneeland shortly before midnight on Nov. 5, but didn’t make contact with anyone at that location. 911 call logs obtained by WFAA indicate that Kneeland may have sent a group text message that prompted the welfare check call.
Frisco Police said officers found Kneeland dead of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound around 1:31 a.m. on Thursday morning. The Collin County Medical Examiners Office will determine Kneeland’s official cause of death.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said the investigation into Kneeland’s death is ongoing.
“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 Dallas Cowboys said in a statement.
The Cowboys selected Kneeland in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft from Western Michigan University.
The NFL said in a statement that they’ve been in touch with the Cowboys and have offered resources and support.
“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. We have been in contact with the Cowboys and have offered support and counseling resources,” the NFL said in a statement shared by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Kneeland’s agent, in a statement shared by NFL insider Ian Rapoport asked for privacy.
“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, 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,” the statement read.
The NFL Players Association, in a statement shared by Schefter, said they’re “working to ensure that players have the support they need, and our condolences are with Marshawn’s family and friends.”
Kneeland’s death came just days after he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown in the Cowboys’ 27-17 loss to Arizona on Monday night.
He played in seven of the nine games this year.
Who was Marshawn Kneeland?
Marshawn Kneeland was born July 8, 2001, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A standout athlete at a young age, Kneeland played linebacker and tight end at Godwin Heights High School in Wyoming, Michigan, where he was a first team all-state selection as a senior.
At Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, continued to shine on the football field, earning second-team All-MAC honors and led his team with 4.5 sacks as a senior. That year, Kneeland played 10 games for the Bronco, starting nine of them, and totaling 57 tackles, with 7.5 tackles of those for loss.
The Dallas Cowboys selected the 6-foot-3, 268-pound Marshawn Kneeland with their No. 56 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was the sixth edge rusher taken in the 2024 draft, and the second selection made by the Cowboys that year, following its first-round selection of offensive lineman Tyler Guyton.
In the 2024-2025 NFL season, Kneeland appeared in 11 games for Dallas and started in one. He recorded 14 tackles over the course of the season, including two for loss. He also registered a fumble recovery over the course of that rookie season in the NFL.
This year, in the 2025-2026 season, Kneeland started in three games and appeared in seven of the nine the team had played up until the time of his death. In his second year in the league, Kneeland recorded 12 tackles, including three tackles for loss and a sack.
If you are struggling or in crisis, help is available by calling or texting the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. This is a developing story. WFAA will update this story as additional information becomes available.