The Dallas Cowboys will face the Las Vegas Raiders in their Week 11 matchup at Allegiant Stadium on Monday. Ahead of the game, the team honored Marshawn Kneeland, who died on November 6. This marks the Cowboys’ first game since his passing.
Players and staff wore tribute shirts featuring Kneeland’s photo, and the team also prepared a memorial locker in his honor. In addition, players will wear a helmet decal with Kneeland’s No. 94 for the remainder of the season.
Quarterback Dak Prescott prayed on the field in Las Vegas while wearing the tribute T-shirt. On his wrist tape, he added a new message—“One love,” a phrase Kneeland was known for saying.
Prescott, whose brother died by suicide in 2020, reflected on how he is coping as the team resumes play.
{{/usCountry}}Prescott, whose brother died by suicide in 2020, reflected on how he is coping as the team resumes play.
{{/usCountry}}"Marshawn went through my mind a few times in practice today, and I just countered that with running harder after a play or trying to do something to better this team and to show that," he said.
Marshawn Kneeland's death
Marshawn Kneeland, 24, a defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys drafted in 2024, died on November 6, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound following a police pursuit.
According to Frisco Police, Kneeland was found dead in the early hours of November 6 after failing to pull over during a traffic stop. Authorities said he led officers on a chase, ultimately fleeing on foot after losing control of his vehicle. His body was discovered approximately three hours later.
Speaking about Kneeland's passing, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, “His death is such a national awareness thing that it takes on some of that light when we think about how we go forward.”
“From the standpoint of the team, from the standpoint of going back to work, there's no doubt in my mind that they will do so in memory of what he was all about," he said on his radio show on 105.3 The Fan.
“He was very unique in his zest for life, and he was very unique in his passion for the game. Of course, the saddest thing for someone like me is the fact that he’s only 24 years old. You think about all of the time that we’re going to miss him and he’s going to be missed by the people around him. He was just getting started.”