nhi. Young Star the 49ers Nearly Drafted Suffers Fatal Stroke at 24 Due to Exhaustive Game and Training Schedule — Just 24 Days After Scoring His First NFL Touchdown
The NFL woke up to heartbreaking news this morning: Marshawn Kneeland, promising defensive end of the Dallas Cowboys, has passed away at the age of 24. The Cowboys confirmed the tragedy in an official statement, offering condolences to his girlfriend Catalina, his family, and “everyone who loved him, on and off the field.” A rising career, a young life, and a future once filled with promise — all gone in an instant.
But this loss hits differently in San Francisco.
Kneeland was not just a Cowboy. He was almost a San Francisco 49er. According to team insiders, the 49ers front office had
serious discussions about drafting him in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft before Dallas selected him at Pick 56. One NFC scout even called him “a younger Arik Armstead — long wingspan, high-IQ pass rusher, zero ego, all grit.” Today, that draft-room what-if feels heavier than ever inside the walls of Levi’s Stadium.
His death was confirmed late Wednesday night by agent Jonathan Perzley and later verified by Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The cause:
a sudden stroke, believed to be the result of an overloaded in-season workload — cross-country flights, high-intensity snap counts, and shortened recovery cycles. One league medical voice described it bluntly:
“The body can be built like a machine — but it still has a breaking point.”
And what makes the loss nearly unbearable: just 24 days earlier, on Monday Night Football, Kneeland scored the first touchdown of his NFL career, returning a blocked punt to a roar of celebration. He told the media he planned to give the ball to his father. Now, that ball may be all his family has left.
The grief is spreading — Cowboys teammates, Western Michigan alumni, and yes, 49ers veterans who remember meeting him during their Top-30 pre-draft visit. One Niners defensive assistant posted:
“He was built for our standard — smart, physical, humble. He would’ve worn red and gold with pride.”
San Francisco is expected to honor him in Week 10 — a helmet decal, a sideline moment, something quiet, something respectful. A tribute not just to the player they almost drafted, but to the warning now echoing across the NFL:
Even the strongest bodies eventually break when the game never stops demanding more.
A rising star.
A moment of glory.
A future erased before it ever fully began.
And one question now hangs over every franchise — from Dallas to Santa Clara:
How many more young players will be pushed past human limits before football finally admits the cost?
Giants LB Brian Burns Leaves Field Without Thanking Home Crowd, Heads Straight to 49ers Locker Room to Apologize to Mac Jones After Collision Causing Injury
East Rutherford, NJ – November 3, 2025 — When the final whistle sounded on the New York Giants’ 24–34 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at MetLife Stadium, most players followed the usual script: shake hands, salute the fans, and head inside. But one notable face was missing from the Giants’ midfield thank-you to the home crowd.
Defender Brian Burns did not stay to applaud. He didn’t linger to sign jerseys or wave to season-ticket holders still chanting his name. Instead, he walked straight past teammates, slipped by the tunnel cameras, and made an unannounced turn —
toward the visitors’ locker room.
One of the most-shared moments after the game wasn’t a touchdown or a highlight-reel defensive play, but a deeply humane exchange between two rivals — Giants linebacker
Brian Burns and 49ers quarterback Mac Jones.
With 2:45 remaining, Jones was sacked by Rakeem Nuñez-Roches. As the quarterback went down, Burns charged in, and his cleat accidentally caught Jones in the face — a sharp kick that opened a cut and sent blood running down the 49ers QB’s cheek. No flag was thrown, but images of Jones continuing to play with a blood-streaked mouthguard spread rapidly, igniting the hashtag
#MacTough.
#49ers QB Mac Jones has a bloody nose 😳 pic.twitter.com/TahLCh0z3c— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) November 2, 2025
Burns later said he couldn’t stop thinking about the moment — even as Mac got back up and kept fighting.
CBS cameras then captured Burns quietly stepping into the 49ers’ celebration area, where music was thumping and players were still in full victory mode. Burns waited until Jones finished a quick media answer — then gently tapped him on the shoulder.
“I’m truly sorry. That play was completely an accident — I never meant to hurt you. I’ve always respected you, and the way you got up and kept battling even with all that blood really made me admire you. You’re a true warrior. Sincerely sorry — and thank you for reacting with such class.”
Jones — still with dried blood on his nose — smiled, pulled Burns in, and said:
“It’s all good, man. I know you didn’t mean it. That’s football — things happen. Respect.”
Before Burns turned to leave, Jones even invited him to stay and join the celebration for a moment — a rare gesture of sportsmanship between opponents. Burns smiled, shook his head, and replied softly:
“Appreciate it, but I’ve got to go back to my guys.”
The two hugged — and for a brief second, even in all the noise, the room went still.
The embrace quickly spread across X, setting off a wave of reactions. Fans of both the 49ers and Giants praised the pair for their sportsmanship and mutual respect.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan later said: “This is what makes us love this sport — not just the competition, but the respect for people.”
In a league built on violence, the most striking image of the night wasn’t a hit, a touchdown, or a strip-sack — it was a defeated defender walking past 80,000 fans
just to apologize to the man he had accidentally hurt.
Brian Burns didn’t stay for the applause.
He chose accountability instead.
And in doing so, he turned a painful play into a moment of honor — one that 49ers and Giants fans will replay long after the scoreboard fades.
