Micah Parsons Has an Eye-Opening Reaction to Ex-Teammate Marshawn Kneeland’s Sudden Death

A dejected Micah Parsons shared his honest views on staying connected with friends and family in the aftermath of Marshawn Kneeland's death.

Micah Parsons Has an Eye-Opening Reaction to Ex-Teammate Marshawn Kneeland’s Sudden Death

Micah Parsons in circle and Marshawn Kneeland (Image via x/IMAGO)

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Marshawn Kneeland‘s tragic death made Micah Parsons realize the importance of family and friends in his life. Parsons reached out to his folks back home as he continues to prepare for the Green Bay Packers’ next game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Last week, the Packers suffered a surprise 16-13 defeat at the hands of the Carolina Panthers. Panthers running back Rico Dowdle scored two touchdowns on the ground against the seventh-best run defense in the league.

Parsons recorded zero pressure on Carolina quarterback Bryce Young. According to Touchdown Wire, he was double-teamed on six pass-rushing snaps and did not beat left tackle Ikem Ekwonu on any of his 13 pass-rushing snaps against him. Moreover, PFF credited Parsons with just a single hurry in the entire game. Parsons ended with 1 complete tackle and assisted 3.

On Wednesday, tragic news shook both the Packers and the entire football world. Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland allegedly took his life after battling severe mental struggles following the death of his mother in 2024.

Speaking with the media on Friday, Parsons admitted that Kneeland’s untimely passing left a massive impression on him.

It made me reach out to some friends I have back home, former teammates, about how we took for granted the time we had together. Life’s just so short, so we should really just start appreciating a little bit more and just loving people right and being purposeful with our intent and how we treat people and how we accept people.

Micah Parsons said (H/T: Matt Schneidman of The Athletic)

Plano Police discovered Kneeland’s unresponsive and bloodied body in the southbound lanes of Dallas Parkway near Warren Parkway. The troopers recovered a firearm thought to be the weapon he used to take his own life.

Kneeland was drafted in second round (56th overall) by the Cowboys out of Western Michigan. He played a total of 18 games for the Cowboys, making 15 solo tackles, 11 assists, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sacks, 1 pass deflection and 1 touchdown, which he scored two days before his death.

The Eagles are wary of Micah Parsons’ talents

The Packers defense was already among the best last year, and on top of that, they traded for Parsons, who has finished runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award multiple times. Many predicted Parsons to go through a slump while adjusting to newer surroundings, but he has produced top numbers in the first nine weeks of 2025.

Micah Parsons Has an Eye-Opening Reaction to Ex-Teammate Marshawn Kneeland's Sudden Death
Micah Parsons (Image via IMAGO)

Up next, the Packers host the reigning world champions in their own backyard for their 49th ever meeting. The Packers lead the series 28-20 but haven’t tasted victory since August 2020 (three-game losing streak).

This was the same defense that frustrated the Eagles in the wildcard earlier this year. Even though the Eagles won 22-10, they were restricted to 5.1 yards per play, their fourth-worst mark out of 18 games (playoffs included) that Jalen Hurts started and finished without injury. 

Parsons played the Eagles regularly while he was in Dallas. He boasts 19 solo tackles, 10 assists, and 5.0 sacks in 7 appearances.

He certainly opens up a lot of opportunities for the rest of his d-line. We’ve faced Micah a lot, so we know the player that he is. We know the disruption he can bring.

Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata told Penn Live

The Packers are slight -2.5 point favorites to secure a sixth win of the season by defeating the Eagles.

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