Late Cowboys Star Marshawn Kneeland Had Stage 1 CTE When He Died By Suicide

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland had stage 1 CTE when he died by suicide in November 2025 at age 24, according to a post-mortem brain tissue analysis by the Concussion & CTE Foundation. Dr. Ann McKee, director of the Boston University CTE Center, said she was not surprised by the finding, as CTE has been found in nearly half of athletes studied who died before age 30. Kneeland began playing tackle football at age 7 and was drafted by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Concussion & CTE Foundation CEO Chris Nowinski stated that current concussion protocols are not enough to prevent CTE, which is caused by repeated head impacts, not just concussions. Kneeland's family released a statement through his girlfriend, saying the diagnosis provides important context about struggles he may have been facing and that they share the information to raise awareness about what high-contact sport athletes might experience.