Cowboys star opens up on ‘hardest season of my life’ in emotional assertion after Marshawn Kneeland’s demise
Dallas Cowboys star Juanyeh Thomas has offered a candid insight into ‘the toughest season of my life’ following the death of his teammate Marshawn Kneeland.
Kneeland, 24, shot himself in the head in a porta-potty in Plano, Texas, after evading police in an astonishing pursuit, which sparked when he failed to pull over for a traffic violation in neighboring Frisco on November 6.
The defensive end’s death brought the NFL to a grinding halt and, in the days that followed, tributes from across the league poured in for the 24-year-old.
The Cowboys held their own tributes for Kneeland at the time and now, two months on, Dallas safety Thomas has opened up on the impact which his death had.
In a raw and emotional statement, Thomas said: ‘Toughest football season of my life… Haven’t opened up about it…. But one thing I want to do is shed light on Marshawn.
‘We lost a brother, a teammate, better yet one of the lights of the locker room… It wasn’t a day Since his passing that I didn’t think of him. Life slowed down for me and it made me realize how precious life really is.
Dallas Cowboys star Juanyeh Thomas has opened up on the death of Marshawn Kneeland
Kneeland’s shock death back in November last year sent shockwaves across the league
Thomas shared an emotional and candid statement on social media on Sunday evening
‘After being sat down for the rest of the season with my nerve issue, it was so easy for me to be down on myself and hate the world.
‘As I watched people laugh at injury reports of me having migraine issues, really made me realize how cruel the world is, but one thing I did was lean on my brothers in that locker room and leaned on my Faith with the lord.
‘As I healed overtime, I’m glad I went through what I went through because it made me realize that I have to enjoy this life that could be tooken [sic] away from us at anytime.
‘This year changed my life and changed my family’s life … God is the greatest and he makes no mistakes… Love yall and be sure to take care of your mental.
He finished: ‘At the end of the day do what you have to do to feel like your best self, but make sure it’s led by Christ’.
After a number of injury battles during 2025, Thomas played just seven games for the Cowboys, making 12 tackles during those.
Shortly after Kneeland’s death in November, meanwhile, the Cowboys paid a powerful tribute to the late star during their first home game after he took his own life.
With AT&T Stadium packed for the Cowboys’ showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa carried a No 94 flag out onto the field before his warmup, commemorating the number Kneeland wore.
Then, while out on the field, Odighizuwa carried Kneeland’s jersey to the team’s dugout, while head coach Brian Schottenheimer wore a shirt with Kneeland’s face on.
Thomas said: ‘We lost a brother, a teammate, better yet one of the lights of the locker room… It wasn’t a day Since his passing that I didn’t think of him’.
Kneeland, pictured with his girlfriend Catalina Mancera, died back in November
Moments before the game began, the Cowboys played a video reflecting on Kneeland’s time with the franchise, beginning with when they drafted him in 2024.
When the video was played to honor him, both Scottenheimer and opposition coach Nick Sirianni fought back tears.
The Cowboys fans also made sure to honor Kneeland, too. There were plenty of tributes spotted throughout the 80,000-seater stadium, with many holding flags remembering his life.
Kneeland died during the Cowboys’ bye week, days after scoring a touchdown in team’s 27-17 loss to Arizona Cardinals.
Kneeland drove at nearly 150mph before crashing into another car on the night of his death, according to a police report obtained by TMZ.
A Texas Department of Public Safety officer clocked him speeding at around 10:30pm on November 5. After following him, he then saw the late NFL player making ‘several unsafe lane changes’ as he passed other cars.
The officer claims he attempted to pull Kneeland over but he did not comply and, before long, the Dodge Charger disappeared out of view.
According to reports, police found the car minutes later. It had crashed into another vehicle before stopping in a field but Kneeland was not there.
The Cowboys paid tribute to the late star during their first home game after he took his own life
Inside the car, police claim to have found an empty gun holster but no firearm. The authorities then launched a search for Kneeland – including using dogs.
His body was eventually found in a port-a-potty around 1.30am on November 6. He had reportedly suffered a fatal – and self-inflicted – gunshot wound.
The Cowboys star had earlier sent his family a group text saying ‘goodbye’ during the drama involving the Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, according to a police audio dispatch.
Kneeland’s girlfriend Catalina Mancera also warned the police that the NFL player had a gun and that she feared he would kill himself.
