Overview
- Boston University’s CTE Center, reporting through the Concussion & CTE Foundation and Kneeland’s family, confirmed on Tuesday, July 7, that postmortem brain tissue analysis showed stage 1 chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
- Kneeland died by suicide in November 2025 after a police pursuit and crash, a death the Collin County medical examiner ruled self-inflicted and that the family later authorized brain donation for study.
- Dr. Ann McKee said the result was not surprising given her team’s findings of CTE in many athletes who died young, and Concussion & CTE CEO Chris Nowinski warned that concussion protocols and better helmets do not eliminate CTE risk because it is driven by repeated head impacts.
- Kneeland’s family released the diagnosis to provide context for struggles he may have faced and to raise awareness; his girlfriend gave birth to their son in June 2026 and the Cowboys and teammates have publicly mourned him.
- CTE can only be diagnosed after death through brain tissue study, stage 1 is the earliest phase and can link to memory, mood and behavior changes, and experts say the case could strengthen efforts to cut head impacts and change youth and pro contact-sport practices.