Former Dallas Cowboys Player Diagnosed Posthumously with Brain Disease

Why it matters locally: The posthumous diagnosis of CTE in a former Dallas Cowboys player brings the national conversation about athlete safety and brain health directly to a team with significant resonance across Texas.

---

Marshawn Kneeland, who previously played for the Dallas Cowboys and died by suicide, received a posthumous diagnosis of early chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Medical analysis determined Kneeland had the condition, which originates from repetitive head impacts. Researchers have identified CTE in hundreds of former National Football League players. The disease involves progressive degeneration of brain tissue, which can manifest years or decades after the last head trauma.