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Green Bay Packers star Micah Parsons spent time Friday remembering his former teammate, Marshawn Kneeland, who tragically died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound this week.
Authorities confirmed that the 24-year-old died from a self-inflicted gunshot after a police chase in Texas. Parsons spoke about the respect he has for Kneeland.
“Marshawn is a guy who loved his anime, loved his video games like anyone else,” Parsons said, according to ESPN. “To me, he always showed me nothing but respect from the moment he walked into the locker room. He respected me as a player; he respected me as a person. So I have nothing but great respect for him. If there is anything that his family needs, I will be the first person to help or offer anything that I can do to offer to a person. I just hope that he finds peace for himself and his family in this situation.”
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Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Micah Parsons (11) leaves the field with defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland (94) before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 29, 2024. (Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Parsons also spoke about the pressures athletes face and mental health as it relates to athletes.
“We would be foolish to act as if what we do isn’t enough pressure,” Parsons said. “We live in a high-pressure job where you’re expected to deliver and play a certain way, and when you don’t, it’s easy to say, ‘Oh, man, that’s so sad,’ but a lot of people are hard on people. ‘You suck. You suck. We hope you die.’ A lot of harsh words and harsh things are said about people.”
COWBOYS’ DAK PRESCOTT SHARES EMOTIONAL MESSAGE AFTER LOSING HIS TEAMMATER MARSHAWN KNEELAND
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (94) leaves the field after the game against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on September 15, 2024. (Tim Heitman/Image Images)
“As athletes, most of us see it, some of us don’t, but we choose to wait until someone dies to realize what we say and do, how it can affect people. We don’t all understand what happened with ‘9-4’ in (this) case, but mental health is important to be there for each other, whether we’re going through tough times or whatever. It’s hard. It’s hard work. But sometimes it’s hard to be a person. I think sometimes people “You avoid that you are human. They try to get away from that. Sometimes you wish things were different because…obviously, it was Marshawn the person we wish had been there for him, not Marshawn the uniform. “So, I’m just trying to be there for people more on the personal side than the football side.”
The star defender said some of his former Dallas Cowboys teammates couldn’t understand the loss of Kneeland.
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Micah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers looks on from the field during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders at Lambeau Field on September 11, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
“I have former teammates who are devastated,” Parsons said. “They can’t understand it. Losing a teammate is like a brother. It’s about someone; people don’t realize how much we’re really together, how much time we spend. That’s the challenge. Regardless, the NFL is like a brotherhood. It doesn’t matter who it is. If you’re sweating, breaking blood with someone, whether it’s the opposite team or the same team, it’s a brotherhood.”
Kneeland was in his second season with the Cowboys after being selected 56th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He died just days after recording his first NFL touchdown in a game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.
