Marshawn Kneeland's heartbroken girlfriend speaks out for the first time since the Dallas Cowboys star's death, stating that it has been a difficult handful of days for her and the family
21:36 ET, 11 Nov 2025
Marshawn Kneeland, a second-round pick out of Western Michigan in the 2024 NFL Draft, has tragically passed away
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Marshawn Kneeland's partner has spoken out for the first time since his death(Image: Getty)
Marshawn Kneeland's partner has spoken out for the first time since the Dallas Cowboys star's death.
On Nov. 6, Kneeland was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Cowboys star had been tailed by police in the hours leading up to his death and reportedly sent a goodbye text message to his loved ones, with his partner, Catalina Mancera, having expressed concerns that he was armed and might "end it all."
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Now, Mancera has spoken out for the first time since the incident. Her words came after Kneeland's cause of death was revealed by authorities. "It's too much," she told The Daily Mail in an exclusive interview.
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"I'm grieving hard right now. It will be a long time before I'll feel ready to talk at any length. We're still in the early stages of everything. We are working on the funeral arrangements. I don't know where it's going to be yet."
Kneeland's cousin, Jasmine Kneeland, believed there had to have been more to the story than was let on. The 33-year-old explained that the Cowboys star was not the type of person who would resort to a violent solution for specific issues, especially given the current facts.
"He is not a hothead. Something here is just not right. Something made him really scared, and he ran," she explained to the outlet. "This is nothing like him at all. He loves his family. He's like a big kid. He likes making TikTok videos of the little ones in our family, he likes being around them a lot.
24-year-old Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland passed away on Thursday morning
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Kneeland, a 24-year-old Dallas Cowboys defensive end, passed away last week(Image: Getty)
"He was generous with them, always buying stuff. I mean, why would he do something like that all of a sudden? That's not the person I know. Our family is utterly devastated."
Making matters worse for the family is the fact that the Kneelands were due to have a family gathering. "We had this big reunion planned this week at the home where he grew up. We do that kind of thing. All the children come, all the family come together," she continued.
"We eat, we laugh, we pray together. Everybody's so proud of Marshawn. He's come such a long way and there was such love for him. He was supposed to be here with us in Grand Rapids. Not dead after a police chase."
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Since the Cowboys star's death, many around the NFL have posted tributes to the 24-year-old. Former Dallas star Micah Parsons told reporters, "I have nothing but high respect for him. He showed me nothing but respect from the moment he came into the locker room. He respected me as a player, and he respected me as a person.”
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He added, "If there’s anything his family needs, I’ll be the first person to help or offer anything that I can do. I just hope that he finds his peace.”
Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott also shared his thoughts on Kneeland's death. Of note, Prescott's brother, Jace, took his own life in 2020, making the situation doubly difficult for the signal caller.
"This is a pain that you don't wish upon anybody," Prescott said. "You wish none of us had to go through this. You wish Marshawn didn't have to go through what he went through. Tough moment for this team. I feel and hurt for everybody that's involved in this and Marshawn's family and loved ones."