Packers' Micah Parsons shares mental health message following death of former teammate Marshawn Kneeland

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Green Bay Packers prima Micah Parsons spent clip connected Friday remembering his erstwhile teammate, Marshawn Kneeland, who tragically died from an evident self-inflicted gunshot coiled this week.

Officials confirmed the 24-year-old died from a self-inflicted gunshot aft a constabulary pursuit successful Texas. Parsons talked astir the respect helium has for Kneeland. 

"Marshawn's a feline who loved his anime, loved his video games similar anybody else," Parsons said, according to ESPN. "To me, helium ever showed maine thing but respect from the infinitesimal helium came into the locker room. He respected maine arsenic a player; helium respected maine arsenic a person. So, I person thing but precocious respect for him. If there's thing his household needs, I'll beryllium the archetypal idiosyncratic to assistance oregon connection thing I tin bash to connection a person. I conscionable anticipation that helium finds his bid and his household bid successful the situation."

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Dallas Cowboys antiaircraft lineman Micah Parsons (11) leaves the tract with antiaircraft lineman Marshawn Kneeland (94) earlier the crippled betwixt the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles astatine Lincoln Financial Field successful Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, connected Dec. 29, 2024. (Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Parsons besides spoke astir the pressures that athletes look and intelligence wellness arsenic it relates to athletes. 

"We'd beryllium fools to enactment similar what we bash isn't capable unit arsenic it is," Parsons said. "We unrecorded successful a unit occupation wherever you're expected to present and you're expected to play a definite way, and erstwhile you don't, it's casual to say, 'Oh, man, it's truthful sad,' but a batch of radical are hard connected people. 'You suck. You stink. We anticipation you die.' There's a batch of harsh words and harsh things that get said astir people."

COWBOYS' DAK PRESCOTT SHARES EMOTIONAL MESSAGE AFTER LOSING TEAMMATE MARSHAWN KNEELAND

Dallas Cowboys antiaircraft extremity Marshawn Kneeland (94) walks disconnected the tract aft the crippled against the New Orleans Saints astatine AT&T Stadium successful Arlington, Texas, connected Sept. 15, 2024. (Tim Heitman/Imagn Images)

"As athletes, astir of america spot it — immoderate of america don't — but we take to hold until idiosyncratic passes to recognize what we accidental and what we do, however it tin impact people. We don't each recognize what happened to '9–4' successful (this) instance, but intelligence wellness is important astir being determination for each other, whether we're going done hard times oregon immoderate it whitethorn be. It's tough. It's a hard job. But it's hard to beryllium a idiosyncratic sometimes. I deliberation sometimes radical evade that you are human. They effort to spell distant from that. Sometimes you privation things was antithetic due to the fact that ... obviously, it was Marshawn the idiosyncratic that we privation we could've been determination for him, not Marshawn the uniform. So, I'm conscionable trying to beryllium determination for radical much the idiosyncratic broadside than the shot side."

The prima defender said that immoderate of his erstwhile Dallas Cowboys teammates couldn't comprehend the nonaccomplishment of Kneeland. 

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Micah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers looks connected from the tract during an NFL shot crippled against the Washington Commanders astatine Lambeau Field connected Sept. 11, 2025 successful Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

"I've got erstwhile teammates that are devastated," Parsons said. "They can’t comprehend it. Losing a teammate is similar a brother. This is idiosyncratic — radical don’t recognize however overmuch we’re really together, similar clip spent. That’s the challenge. Like regardless, the NFL is similar a brotherhood. It doesn’t substance who it is. If you’re breaking sweat, breaking humor with someone, whether it’s other squad oregon aforesaid team, it’s a brotherhood."

Kneeland was successful his 2nd play with the Cowboys aft being selected 56th wide successful the 2024 NFL Draft. He died conscionable days aft helium recorded his archetypal NFL touchdown successful a crippled against the Arizona Cardinals connected Monday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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