Marshawn Kneeland Being Posthumously Diagnosed with CTE Upsets Fans – “This Hits Even Harder Now”

Marshawn Kneeland ended his life with a gun after first escaping a police chase in early November last year.

Marshawn Kneeland Being Posthumously Diagnosed with CTE Upsets Fans – “This Hits Even Harder Now”

Marshawn Kneeland was suffering from Stage 1 CTE (Image via Northern News Now/X)

When the news of the death of Marshawn Kneeland first arrived in the notifications section of football fans, they were left shocked but wondered what led to this.

After all, he was a 24-year-old defensive end playing for the Dallas Cowboys and was poised to become one of the better players on their roster given time.

His improvements probably convinced Jerry Jones and his coaches that they would be fine even if they traded away Micah Parsons. And even if we may not be as impactful as their former pass rusher, he would have done enough to at least compensate for it to some extent.

Then, when the news of his suicide by gunshot came through, people lost their minds. Executives, fellow football players, and fans were in total shock.

Suicide hotline numbers were being passed around, and the league sent out memos to teams to remind their players that there is help if needed. Even some of his former teammates came out with messages of support.

The Cowboys even started a fund to help Marshawn Kneeland’s girlfriend, who was pregnant at the time. Many wondered how such a jovial man could end his life and even run away from the police in the first place.

This information came about when Boston University posthumously examined his brain. The NFL and football in general have always had a tumultuous relationship with CTE.

Many players and medical personnel have claimed that playing football does lead to CTE. The league has constantly tried to change the narrative because they know what is at stake.

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Fans express shock after Marshawn Kneeland’s CTE diagnosis

Other sports have also been linked to CTE, such as MMA and boxing. But there are far more examples in football, which is why the NFL is generally afraid to talk about it.

Any conversations about CTE tend to draw a negative spotlight on the game. Even when some, such as Antonio Brown, joke about it, fans and other former players do not appreciate those conversations.

Now that a young star had to end his life because he was struggling with CTE, it came as nothing but a shock to fans. They took to social media to express their disbelief, examples of which are shown below.

In the past, whenever CTE was brought up, those who argued against the topic would often suggest that it is a rare problem. But Kneeland was diagnosed with stage 1 CTE at that young age. No wonder fans were left baffled and shocked.

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Marshawn Kneeland was struggling with CTE for quite some time

CTE is not something that happens overnight, and usually it requires a lot of buildup before it reaches a stage where something as serious as this can happen.

Marshawn Kneeland was a jovial person
Marshawn Kneeland was a jovial person (Image via Pop Crave/X)

ESPN dug into Marshawn Kneeland’s background and figured out that there were concerns about his mental health, going as far back as 2020 when he was with the Western Michigan Broncos.

They revealed that in one incident, he was even required to turn in his firearm to the police. Only after a counselor cleared him was he allowed to take it back.

In another instance, they came to understand that a friend had called authorities over Kneeland’s well-being. He had apparently made it to the railroad tracks, hoping that a train would run him over. Eventually, he was hospitalized.

Kneeland’s girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, put out a statement, mentioning that this diagnosis does not change the fact that he is no more. However, she hopes that this information helps people understand the impact of high-contact sports, such as football.

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