The Dallas Cowboys shook fans across the globe with the announcement that 24-year-old DE Marshawn Kneeland had tragically passed away. The official statement from the Cowboys provided no details on the cause of Kneeland's death; their statement did offer condolences to his loved ones while also celebrating his life and his contributions to the city and organization.
“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.”
This was just the start of several tributes to Kneeland that poured in from current and former teammates and coaches after the news of his death was made public.
Mike Zimmer, Juanyeh Thomas Among Cowboys Paying Tribute to Kneeland
During Thursday's edition of Good Morning Football, NFL Network reporter Jane Slater shared what was one of the first public reactions to the tragic news regarding Kneeland. Former Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who coached Kneeland in 2024, had nothing but positive things to say about his former pupil and shared what he told Kneeland during their last conversation.
“He was a great person, eager to learn...wanted to be great. He didn’t take any crap from anyone on the field. He studied hard, loved playing the game. Tough." Zimmer added, via Slater. “My last conversation with him was keep being you, you’re going to have a great career.”
Cowboys teammate Juanyeh Thomas was one of the first players to take to social media to express his sorrow over the news.
"Sick my stomach, my brotha man," Thomas wrote on X, followed by a crying emoji and dove of peace emoji.
The thoughts from Thomas were followed by a message from former Cowboys defender Micah Parsons. The All-Pro defender shared the post from the NFL regarding Kneeland's passing while adding, "I'm sorry lil brother I hope you find peace," followed by several heart emojis.
Kneeland's position coach from the 2024 season, Greg Ellis, took the time to not only remember the type of football player the linebacker was, but more importantly, the type of man he had grown into at the still young age of 24.
“He epitomized what you look for in a football player," Ellis said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. "He played the game hard. He was eager to learn. You hear a lot of things about this generation, but that wasn’t Marshawn. He was still a, ‘Yes, sir. No, sir,’ kind of guy."
Fellow Cowboys defender Perrion Winfrey and practice squad wide receiver Traeshon Holden also took to X and posted emojis of a broken heart following the news of Kneeland's death.
There will undoubtedly be more tributes pouring in throughout the day as the Cowboys, and the football world in general, remember Kneeland.
Kneeland, a second-round pick of Dallas in the 2024 draft out of Western Michigan University, appeared in 18 total games as a member of the Cowboys. During his time with the team, he accumulated 26 tackles, one QB sack, and five tackles for a loss. In his final NFL game, Kneeland scored his first career touchdown after recovering a blocked punt against the Arizona Cardinals.