Medical examiners have confirmed that Marshawn Kneeland, a former defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys, had Stage 1 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) when he died.

法醫確認前達拉斯牛仔隊防守端鋒 Marshawn Kneeland 在去世時患有第一期慢性創傷性腦病 (CTE)。

The diagnosis was made by the Boston University CTE Center after analyzing his brain tissue. Kneeland, who died by suicide in November 2025 at the age of 24, had the earliest of four stages of this brain disease. CTE is caused by repeated hits to the head, which destroy brain cells and can lead to symptoms such as depression, impulsive behavior, and memory problems. His family stated that these results help explain the psychological struggles Kneeland faced during his life.

波士頓大學 CTE 中心在分析其腦組織後做出了這項診斷。Kneeland 於 2025 年 11 月自殺身亡，當時年僅 24 歲，患有這種腦部疾病最早期的一期。CTE 是由頭部反覆受擊引起，會破壞腦細胞，並導致憂鬱、衝動行為和記憶力問題等症狀。他的家人表示，這些結果有助於解釋 Kneeland 生前所面臨的心理掙扎。

Dr. Ann McKee from the Boston University CTE Center emphasized that this case follows a known pattern. According to a 2023 study, 41.4% of athletes who died before age 30 showed signs of CTE. Furthermore, the data suggests that Black athletes are more affected, with 59% of the Black athletes in the study diagnosed with the condition. Although suicide was the most common cause of death in the group, the center clarified that a CTE diagnosis is not officially proven to be a direct cause of suicide.

波士頓大學 CTE 中心的 Ann McKee 醫生強調，此個案符合已知模式。根據 2023 年的一項研究，30 歲前去世的運動員中，有 41.4% 顯示有 CTE 跡象。此外，數據顯示黑人運動員受影響更深，研究中 59% 的黑人運動員被診斷患有此病。雖然自殺是該組人最常見的死因，但中心澄清，CTE 診斷尚未被正式證明是自殺的直接原因。

Dr. Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion & CTE Foundation, argued that this case shows that current safety rules are not enough. He pointed out that even with modern helmets and concussion protocols, athletes are still at risk. Because CTE is caused by many small hits to the head over time rather than a single big injury, Nowinski asserted that the sport must reduce the overall number and intensity of head impacts to protect players.

腦震盪與 CTE 基金會 (Concussion & CTE Foundation) 執行長 Chris Nowinski 博士認為，此個案顯示目前的安全規則並不充足。他指出，即使有現代化頭盔和腦震盪處理方案，運動員仍處於風險之中。由於 CTE 是由長時間內多次輕微頭部撞擊引起，而非單次嚴重受傷，Nowinski 主張體育界必須減少頭部撞擊的總量與強度，以保護球員。

The diagnosis of Stage 1 CTE in Marshawn Kneeland highlights that brain risks in contact sports remain a serious problem despite modern safety measures.

Marshawn Kneeland 被診斷患有第一期 CTE，凸顯出儘管有現代安全措施，接觸性運動的腦部風險依然是一個嚴重問題。