Sports

Cowboys players and staff meet in person for first time since Marshawn Kneeland's passing

(Content warning: This story contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide and needs support now, call or text 988 or chat with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org.)

The Dallas Cowboys held on Monday their first team meeting since the Marshawn Kneeland tragedy, led by head coach Brian Schottenheimer and independent team psychologist Heather Tedwell.

This was the first group gathering for the entire team since Kneeland’s passing last week. Cowboys veteran defensive end Solomon Thomas praised Schottenheimer and the coaching staff for their support through this trying time. 

"Extremely proud of coach for how he conducted today, just bringing therapists in the building, bringing people who we needed in the building and just letting us be our true emotions," Thomas said. "Giving us a safe place to let everyone know what's going on inside."

"We needed a day just to be human and to cry and to let everyone know how we felt."

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Thomas has lost someone close to suicide. In 2018, Thomas’ sister Ella also died due to suicide. 

Thomas also held an event on Monday through his foundation, "The Defensive Line," a non-profit social services organization that helps individuals, families and seniors navigate through crisis situations. He was joined at the event by Cowboys teammates Osa Odighizuwa, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Perrion Winfrey, James Houston, Payton Turner, Jay Toia, Earnest Brown, Dayo Odeleye and Isaiah Land.

"I think the bye week, being away from each other has been hard," Thomas explained. "So I think coming into the building together meant a lot and then also having this and the guys, I even told them, 'Hey, I understand if you don't want to come,' and all of them wanted to come."

Everyone around the league felt this loss and former Cowboys teammate Micah Parsons even gave his own tribute to Kneeland before Green Bay's Week 10 Monday Night Football matchup against Philadelphia. 

Kneeland was in his second NFL season after being selected in the second round (56th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Cowboys. In 18 career games, Kneeland posted 26 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 4 QB hits, 1 sack and 1 pass defended. 

The heat could be increasing on Matt LaFleur (and Brian Gutekunst)

After two straight home wins to start the season, the Packers looked to be squarely in the Super Bowl window. Now, after losing two straight home games (and scoring 20 total points in losses to the Panthers and Eagles), Green Bay may not make it to the postseason.

With eight games to play and a record of 5-3-1, is coach Matt LaFleur coaching for his job?

He was asked that question after Monday night's 10-7 loss to the Eagles.

"I’ll leave that for everybody else to decide,” LaFleur said, via Matt Schneidman of TheAthletic.com. “I’ll just focus on the day-to-day. . . . I feel like you’re always coaching for everything in this league, you know? That’s just my mindset. It’s always been that way. You can’t ever exhale. You gotta always be pushing. That’s just my mindset and that will be my mindset ’til they tell me not to coach anymore."

There's one person with the ultimate power to make the decision. And new Packers president Ed Policy made it clear in June that, for both LaFleur and G.M. Brian Gutekunst, 2025 will be an important year.

Their contracts run through 2026. Policy they would not get new deals until after the current season. Policy also downplayed the idea that either LaFleur or Gutekunst would work as lame ducks next year, saying such an approach "creates a lot of issues."

So it likely will be either new deals or pink slips. In June, Policy said of LaFleur, Gutekunst, and director of football operations Russ Ball, "I love them. I trust them. I respect them."

That's the good news, for each of them. The bad news is that the Packers suddenly aren't good enough, with an offense that lacks rhythm or punch or unpredictability. So, yes, the next eight games will be a factor in what happens next, especially if the Packers don't happen to make it to the postseason for only the second time this decade.

Commanders sign DL DeMarcus Walker to practice squad

The Commanders added a veteran defensive lineman to their practice squad on Tuesday.

The agents for DeMarcus Walker announced that their client has agreed to a deal with Washington. According to multiple reports, Walker is joining the team's practice squad.

Per those reports, Walker is in Spain with the Commanders so he could be elevated to play against the Dolphins in Madrid on Sunday. The Commanders are down a lineman after Daron Payne was suspended for one game for punching Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Walker was a Broncos second-round pick in 2017. He started 17 games for the Bears last season and had 47 tackles and 3.5 sacks for Chicago.

More Articles …

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  3. Eagles-Packers was only the fifth NFL game in the last 10 years that was 0-0 at halftime
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