Marshawn Kneeland’s death is a tragedy that will haunt the NFL throughout the rest of the 2025 season, and one of his teammates has spoken up on it.

On Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys defensive end was reported to have been found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in the suburb of Frisco. He had been involved in a car chase after refusing to be stopped for a traffic violation, and police later found his vehicle, then his corpse, in an area around Dallas Parkway.

A statement from his family read:

“We are devastated by this tremendous loss and are still processing the depth of our grief. As Marshawn was making his mark on the football field with the Dallas Cowboys, he held an even more special place off the field — as a devoted son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, grandson, and friend. He was kind, determined, humble, and full of love.”

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Speaking during the field dedication ceremony at his alma mater Haughton High School (the Cowboys are on their bye week), franchise quarterback Dak Prescott also expressed anguish at this “tough moment”:

“Tragic loss, I hurt, heavy heart today. I hurt for Marshawn, I hurt for his family, I hurt for his girlfriend and I hurt for every single one of my teammates. This is a pain you don’t wish upon anybody. You wish none of us had to go through this. You wish Marshawn didn’t have to go through what he had.”

Marshawn Kneeland’s agent, former collage coach react to Cowboys DE’s death

Also reacting to Marshawn Kneeland’s death was his erstwhile-agent Jonathan Perzley, who could “hardly put into words” what transpired:

“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. My heart aches for his family, his teammates and everyone who loved him.”

Lance Taylor, his former head coach at Western Michigan, also issued a statement reflecting on the bond that they developed during their time together:

“Marshawn was so much more than an incredible football player — he was a remarkable young man who meant so much to our program and to me personally. His leadership, energy, and smile were infectious, and he left a lasting impact on everyone in our program.”

In his last game, Kneeland scored a touchdown off of a blocked punt in a 27-17 loss against the Arizona Cardinals.