Why the Cowboys’ Monday Night Football tribute to Marshawn Kneeland became a permanent season-long honor

The Dallas Cowboys stepped into Monday Night Football carrying a weight no team ever wants to face. Their first game since the death of second year defensive end Marshawn Kneeland on Nov.

6 came with heavy emotion, and the organization made it clear that the night belonged to his memory. From the moment players walked onto the field for warm ups, the tone felt different. Quiet moments replaced the usual pregame noise as teammates tried to honor a life lost too soon while preparing to compete against the Las Vegas Raiders.Dallas focused on celebrating who Kneeland was and what he meant inside the locker room.

The team chose to honor him in several ways that blended their grief with their commitment to play through it. Every detail, from their attire to the space saved for him, reflected how deeply the loss hit them.

The story behind the Cowboys’ No. 94 tribute that turned Marshawn Kneeland’s memory into their biggest motivational forcePlayers and staff wore special shirts featuring a portrait of Kneeland, a gesture that made his presence feel close as they moved through warm ups. The team also revealed a helmet decal carrying his No. 94, which they plan to wear for the rest of the season. In a simple but powerful message, the Cowboys wrote, "For 94," when sharing the first look at the sticker. Kneeland wore the number after joining Dallas as a second round pick from Western Michigan in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Inside Allegiant Stadium, the Cowboys reserved a locker for him, hanging his No. 94 jersey as a quiet reminder of the teammate who should have been there. The Raiders joined the tribute by wearing shirts with 988 on the back, the number for the suicide hotline. They also planned a moment of silence before kickoff.Kneeland died in what Frisco police have described as a "possible suicide." Authorities said he was "found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound" after his abandoned vehicle was discovered following a crash. Police also noted he had "expressed suicidal ideations" before he was found.Kneeland appeared in 18 NFL games with four starts. His lone touchdown came two days before his death, when he recovered a blocked punt for a score against Arizona.More NFL coveragePatrick and Brittany Mahomes’ adorable painting competition turns into pure comedy with their wildly mixed resultsShedeur Sanders’ long-awaited debut marred by shocking burglary at his Cleveland home during Sunday’s game