NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Marshawn Kneeland, who played 18 games for the Dallas Cowboys since his 2024 NFL rookie season, has died at the age of 24, but there is new hope that the late defensive lineman’s legacy lives on.
On Wednesday, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed that Kneeland’s girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, was expecting the couple’s child.
“[Catalina is] “We’re pregnant and so we want to make sure that she and the baby are taken care of for the rest of her life,” Schottenheimer told reporters during her press briefing. “Our guys, it’s very important for them and for us.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Marshawn Kneeland (94) of the Dallas Cowboys watches from the sidelines during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on December 9, 2024. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Schottenheimer also revealed that the team started a memorial fund honoring Kneeland and supporting Catalina. The first-year Dallas head coach also recalled some of the memories he shared with the former NFL player.
“Marshawn loved the words ‘one love,'” Schottenheimer said. “So we talked a lot about love while we were grieving.”
FOOTBALL COMMUNITY REACTS TO DEATH OF COWBOYS DEFENSIVE AID MARSHAWN KNEELAND: ‘GONE TOO EARLY’
Schottenheimer noted that he will remember Kneeland as one of the “most cheerful spirits of all the young men I have been around.”
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer looks on before the game against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on October 19, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
“His smile could bring you to your knees,” the coach said. “And as an athlete, no one had a better engine than him. So my heart is heavy.”
Schottenheimer added: “The hearts of our team are heavy. We are not moving forward, but we are moving forward.”
Mancera recently shared a message about the heartbreaking loss. “My sweet baby, words will never be able to express how broken I feel,” she wrote on social media. “You are everything to me. I will love you forever my beautiful angel.”
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (94) stands on the field after the game against the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on August 16, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
Frisco police said the defensive lineman died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities responded after a driver allegedly eluded police during a chase. Responding officers found a crashed vehicle near the southbound lanes of a local parkway. Kneeland fled on foot, police reported.
Authorities also said Kneeland contacted his family via text message before his death to say goodbye, police told dispatchers, according to audio obtained and reviewed by People. The investigation is still ongoing.
Shortly after the tragedy, the Cowboys released a statement:
“It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys announce the tragic passing of Marshawn Kneeland this morning,” the team said in a statement. “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 selected Kneeland in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He recorded the first sack of his professional football career in the season opening game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Cowboys coach says late NFL player Marshawn Kneeland’s girlfriend is pregnant, team launches memorial fund
