Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end
Kneeland had early stage CTE at time of death
[July 08, 2026]
By JIM VERTUNO
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn
Kneeland, who died by suicide in November 2025 after a high-speed
chase with police, had early stage chronic traumatic encephalopathy,
a brain abnormality linked to repeated head trauma, his family
announced Tuesday.
The Boston University CTE Center, which investigates the long-term
consequences of repetitive brain trauma in athletes and others,
analyzed Kneeland's brain tissue after his death. Researchers
determined Kneeland, who was 24, was in stage one of four of CTE.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you
or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis
lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There
is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org
___
CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been found in athletes
in contact sports, combat veterans and others who experience
repetitive blows to the head. It has been known to cause violent
mood swings, impulsive behavior and depression. It can be diagnosed
only after death.
“While this diagnosis does not change the tragedy of his passing, it
provides important context about some of the struggles he may have
been facing. We share this information to help people understand
what NFL and other high contact sport athletes might be struggling
with,” Kneeland’s family, including his girlfriend, Catalina Mancera,
said in a statement issued through the Concussion and CTE
Foundation.
“Raising awareness is important to us. We continue to remember
Marshawn with compassion for the person he was, rather than defining
him by the final moments of his life. One Love,” the family said.
The abnormality has also been linked to deaths in the National
Football League, as well as in hockey and soccer.
Kneeland shot himself after evading authorities in his vehicle and
fleeing a car crash on foot.
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Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (94) looks on during
an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Dallas
Cowboys on Oct. 12, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob
Kupferman, File)
The chase happened after police said Kneeland
didn’t stop for Texas Department of Public Safety troopers over a
traffic violation. Authorities lost sight of the vehicle before
locating it crashed minutes later.
As authorities were looking for Kneeland after he fled the crash
site on foot, a dispatcher told officers that people who knew him
had received a group text from Kneeland “saying goodbye,” indicating
he might be suicidal.
Dr. Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion & CTE Foundation, noted
Kneeland's diagnosis comes even amid a modern era of concussion
protocols in professional and college athletics and better safety
equipment.
Kneeland started playing tackle football when he was 7 years old. He
played at Western Michigan University before he was selected by the
Cowboys in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.
“We have no reason to believe the current generation is at a lower
risk of CTE than previous generations. Concussion protocols do not
prevent CTE, because CTE is caused by repeated head impacts, not
just concussions,” Nowinski said. “If we want to reduce CTE risk, we
must implement CTE prevention protocols and aggressively reduce the
number and strength of head impacts at every level of the game.”
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