Kneeland CTE Diagnosis
Former Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was posthumously found to have stage 1 CTE.
Summary
Boston University CTE Center researchers posthumously diagnosed Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland with Stage 1 chronic traumatic encephalopathy after analyzing brain tissue donated through the Concussion & CTE Foundation. Kneeland died by suicide in November 2025 at age 24 from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after a high-speed police chase in Texas. He was in his second NFL season with Dallas at the time of his death. CTE is associated with repeated head impacts, and Kneeland’s diagnosis was made after death.
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