Kneeland posthumously diagnosed with Stage 1 CTE; mental health struggles documented since 2020.

Former Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was posthumously diagnosed with Stage 1 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after his death by suicide in November 2025 at age 24. Boston University's CTE Center made the diagnosis following brain donation by his family. Records obtained by ESPN show mental health concerns dating back to 2020 when he was at Western Michigan, including a 2020 incident where he was found on railroad tracks expressing suicidal ideation and was hospitalized. During his final incident in November 2025, Texas police pursued Kneeland after he was speeding at over 145 mph; officers received information he had expressed suicidal ideations before his death. The BU CTE Center emphasized that suicide is complex and multifactorial, and a post-mortem CTE diagnosis should not be considered the sole cause of suicide. Dr. Ann McKee noted that CTE has been found in nearly half of athletes studied who died before age 30.

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