Overview
- Devey's family said he died by suicide on Tuesday, July 21, and his wife Linsey posted an emotional tribute that coincided with what would have been their 15th wedding anniversary.
- A GoFundMe set up to help Linsey and the couple's four children has raised substantial donations toward a $200,000 goal to cover medical and immediate financial needs.
- Devey built an uncommon path to the NFL after not playing high school football, went undrafted in 2013, earned a Super Bowl XLIX ring with the New England Patriots, and appeared in 44 regular-season games over seven seasons.
- His parents have publicly said they suspect chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) may have been a factor in his struggles, but no diagnosis or postmortem confirmation has been reported and CTE can only be confirmed by examining brain tissue after death.
- Teammates, former teams and public figures have paid tribute and called for better mental health support, a response that may increase scrutiny of long-term brain injury risks in contact sports and boost local demand for mental-health resources.