Key Takeaways
- The Cowboys honored Marshawn Kneeland with warmup shirts, helmet decals, and a moment of silence before kickoff.
- Dak Prescott shared how Kneeland’s death affected him personally and how he processed the grief.
- A memorial fund was established for Kneeland’s girlfriend and unborn child, adding a lasting gesture to the tribute.
The Dallas Cowboys centered their return to the field around the memory of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, who died Nov. 6 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after evading a traffic stop near Frisco, Texas. Police said troopers attempted to pull him over for a traffic violation before he fled, crashed, and was later found deceased.
Team owner Jerry Jones said the organization was grappling with the loss. “My feeling is that everybody is just a little dumbfounded, much less the sorrow that’s involved here for everybody involved inside the Cowboys,” he expressed. According to NBC News, the team’s head of security spoke to authorities about concerning text messages before the incident.
The Cowboys established a memorial fund for Kneeland’s girlfriend and their unborn child ahead of Monday night’s (Nov. 17) game in Las Vegas. Players wore warmup shirts printed with his photo, added a blue No. 94 decal to their helmets, and hung his jersey behind the bench. A moment of silence was held prior to kickoff. Coaches and players described the week as emotionally difficult, with linebacker DeMarvion Overshown saying some teammates had been “in and out of sadness” while reflecting on Kneeland’s presence in the facility. He recalled seeing Kneeland daily after his own surgery and said maintaining his teammate’s spirit would be part of the team’s path forward.
Quarterback Dak Prescott, whose brother died by suicide a few years ago, told NBC News that returning to football activities helped him process the grief. “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 to the outlet.
Game highlights: Cowboys defeat the Raiders
What might have been the biggest tribute of all was victory, as Dallas earned a 33-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in the team's first game since Kneeland’s death. Dak Prescott threw four touchdown passes to George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, and Ryan Flournoy. The Cowboys scored on five straight possessions and led 31-9 entering the fourth quarter.
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