Medical examiners have confirmed that Marshawn Kneeland, a former defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys, suffered from Stage 1 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of his death.

法醫已確認，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變 (CTE)。

The diagnosis was rendered by the Boston University CTE Center following a postmortem analysis of brain tissue. Kneeland, who deceased by suicide in November 2025 at age 24, exhibited the earliest of four clinical stages of the degenerative disease. This pathology is characterized by the destruction of neural cells and is associated with repetitive head trauma, manifesting in symptoms such as depression, impulsive behavior, and cognitive deficits. The family of the deceased stated that these findings provide necessary context regarding the psychological challenges Kneeland encountered.

波士頓大學 CTE 中心在對腦組織進行死後分析後做出了此診斷。Kneeland 於 2025 年 11 月自殺去世，當時年僅 24 歲，呈現出這種退化性疾病四個臨床階段中最早期的症狀。這種病理特徵是神經細胞的破壞，並與重複性頭部創傷相關，表現為憂鬱、衝動行為和認知缺陷等症狀。死者家屬表示，這些發現為 Kneeland 曾面臨的心理挑戰提供了必要的背景資訊。

From a broader epidemiological perspective, Dr. Ann McKee of the Boston University CTE Center noted that this case aligns with established patterns. A 2023 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that 41.4% of athletes who died before age 30 showed signs of CTE. The data further suggests a higher prevalence among Black athletes; specifically, 59% of the 27 Black athletes studied were diagnosed with the condition. While suicide was the most frequent cause of death across the study cohort (57.2%), the Boston University CTE Center clarified that a postmortem CTE diagnosis is not established as a direct risk factor for suicide.

從更廣泛的流行病學角度來看，波士頓大學 CTE 中心的 Ann McKee 博士指出，此案例與既定模式一致。2023 年發表在《美國醫學會雜誌》的一項研究指出，30 歲前去世的運動員中，有 41.4% 顯示有 CTE 跡象。數據進一步顯示，黑人運動員的盛行率更高；具體而言，在接受研究的 27 名黑人運動員中，有 59% 被診斷患有此病。雖然自殺是研究組中最常見的死因 (57.2%)，但波士頓大學 CTE 中心澄清，死後診斷出 CTE 並非被確立為自殺的直接風險因素。

Institutional implications regarding athlete safety were highlighted by Dr. Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion & CTE Foundation. Nowinski posited that the presence of the disease in a modern athlete—despite the implementation of contemporary concussion protocols and advanced helmet technology—indicates that current safeguards are insufficient. He argued that because CTE results from cumulative sub-concussive head impacts rather than isolated concussions, a systemic reduction in the frequency and intensity of head impacts is required to mitigate risk across all levels of the sport.

腦震盪與 CTE 基金會執行長 Chris Nowinski 博士強調了關於運動員安全的體制影響。Nowinski 認為，儘管已實施現代腦震盪處理方案和先進的頭盔技術，現代運動員中仍出現此疾病，顯示目前的防護措施不足。他主張，由於 CTE 是由累積的亞腦震盪級頭部撞擊而非單次腦震盪引起，因此需要系統性地減少頭部撞擊的頻率與強度，才能降低所有級別運動的風險。

The diagnosis of Stage 1 CTE in Marshawn Kneeland underscores the persistence of neurodegenerative risks in contact sports despite modern safety protocols.

Marshawn Kneeland 被診斷出第一期 CTE，凸顯了儘管有現代安全方案，接觸性運動中的神經退化風險依然存在。