HH. SAD NEWS: Young Star the 49ers Nearly Drafted Suffers Fatal Stroke at 24 Due to Exhaustive Game and Training Schedule — Just 24 Days After Scoring His First NFL Touchdown
The NFL woke up to heartbreaking news this morning: Marshawn Kneeland, promising defensive end of the Dallas Cowboys, has passed away at the age of 24. The Cowboys confirmed the tragedy in an official statement, offering condolences to his girlfriend Catalina, his family, and “everyone who loved him, on and off the field.” A rising career, a young life, and a future once filled with promise — all gone in an instant.
But this loss hits differently in San Francisco.
Kneeland was not just a Cowboy. He was almost a San Francisco 49er. According to team insiders, the 49ers front office had
serious discussions about drafting him in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft before Dallas selected him at Pick 56. One NFC scout even called him “a younger Arik Armstead — long wingspan, high-IQ pass rusher, zero ego, all grit.” Today, that draft-room what-if feels heavier than ever inside the walls of Levi’s Stadium.
His death was confirmed late Wednesday night by agent Jonathan Perzley and later verified by Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The cause:
a sudden stroke, believed to be the result of an overloaded in-season workload — cross-country flights, high-intensity snap counts, and shortened recovery cycles. One league medical voice described it bluntly:
“The body can be built like a machine — but it still has a breaking point.”
And what makes the loss nearly unbearable: just 24 days earlier, on Monday Night Football, Kneeland scored the first touchdown of his NFL career, returning a blocked punt to a roar of celebration. He told the media he planned to give the ball to his father. Now, that ball may be all his family has left.
The grief is spreading — Cowboys teammates, Western Michigan alumni, and yes, 49ers veterans who remember meeting him during their Top-30 pre-draft visit. One Niners defensive assistant posted:
“He was built for our standard — smart, physical, humble. He would’ve worn red and gold with pride.”
San Francisco is expected to honor him in Week 10 — a helmet decal, a sideline moment, something quiet, something respectful. A tribute not just to the player they almost drafted, but to the warning now echoing across the NFL:
Even the strongest bodies eventually break when the game never stops demanding more.
A rising star.
A moment of glory.
A future erased before it ever fully began.
And one question now hangs over every franchise — from Dallas to Santa Clara:
How many more young players will be pushed past human limits before football finally admits the cost?
Bo Nix Fires Back at Maxx Crosby After Brutal Trash Talk
Denver, CO — November 5, 2025
The rivalry between the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders just got personal — and fiery.
Hours before the AFC West showdown on Thursday Night Football
, Raiders defensive star
Maxx Crosby ignited controversy by posting on social media: “I’ll crush the Broncos like breaking a tackle dummy.” The comment quickly went viral, drawing both outrage and laughter from fans across the league.
But Broncos quarterback Bo Nix didn’t stay silent for long. The young leader, who’s guided Denver to a 7-2 record in just his second NFL season, fired back with a calm but cutting response that perfectly captured the team’s identity.
“He can say whatever he wants,” Nix told reporters after Wednesday’s walkthrough. “In Denver, we don’t talk — we fight, we rise, and we finish. Maybe he should check where his team stands before he starts running his mouth.”
Nix’s words hit hard, especially given the Broncos’ dominance over the Raiders last season, when they swept the division rival en route to a playoff berth. This year, Denver sits near the top of the AFC while Las Vegas continues to struggle at 2-6, fueling the tension ahead of their primetime clash.
Inside the Broncos’ locker room, teammates reportedly rallied around their quarterback’s fiery response, seeing it as both a show of confidence and a reflection of the team’s blue-collar mentality under head coach
Sean Payton.
As Thursday night approaches, one thing is certain — what started as a routine divisional matchup has turned into an emotional statement game.
The Broncos aren’t just playing for another win; they’re playing to silence the noise.
