There was a somber note to the start of Thursday night’s game between the Broncos and Raiders.
Denver held a moment of silence for Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, who was found dead Thursday morning from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following what authorities say was a police chase in Frisco, Texas.
He was 24.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Denver Broncos join the Dallas Cowboys and the entire NFL community in mourning Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, who tragically passed away this morning,” Broncos public address announcer Conor McGahey said as a picture of Kneeland was shown on the Empower Field at Mile High scoreboard. “As we offer thoughts and prayers to his family, friends and teammates, please stand and join in a moment of silence to remember the life of Marshawn Kneeland.”
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers pursued Kneeland for an “attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation on the northbound lanes of the Dallas North Tollway near Keller Springs Blvd. The driver refused to stop, resulting in a pursuit with DPS Troopers,” the Department of Public Safety said in a statement.
Troopers lost sight of the vehicle, which they later found empty after a crash. Kneeland’s body was found nearby.
“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,” the Cowboys said in a statement.
Kneeland, a 2024 second-round pick out of Western Michigan, played two seasons in the NFL.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
