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The NFL has paid tribute to Dallas Cowboys player Marshawn Kneeland, holding a moment of silence before every game on Sunday.
Kneeland died by apparent suicide at the age of 24 on Wednesday night.
He was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound after fleeing Texas State troopers when they attempted to stop him for a traffic violation.
The defensive lineman's death came just two days after he suited up for the Cowboys and scored a touchdown in their Monday Night Football matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
His death sent shockwaves across the sport and, on Friday, the NFL asked all teams to hold a moment of silence during their pre-game ceremonies to honor Kneeland.
An image of Kneeland was put on the jumbotron before kickoff at some games, while Indianapolis Colts players took a knee in the end zone to honor him before their clash with the Atlanta Falcons in Germany.
The NFL paid tribute to Dallas Cowboys player Marshawn Kneeland before Sunday's games
Colts players kneel down during a minute of silence before their game against the Falcons
Carolina Panthers players bow their heads on the sideline during a moment of silence
There didn't appear to be any repeat of the shocking scenes in Denver on Thursday night that saw their moment of silence interrupted by a small number of fans.
A few faint heckles could clearly be heard during the silence before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders and it disgusted fans who were watching from home.
Troopers attempted to stop Kneeland for a traffic violation on the Dallas North Tollway. However, he reportedly refused to pull over, resulting in a pursuit which ended when the pursuing troopers lost sight of Kneeland's vehicle.
Kneeland's vehicle was later discovered abandoned having been in a crash, prompting a search of the immediate area where the football player was found deceased.
Police discovered his bloodied body in a porta-potty near a building.
A distraught relative of Kneeland sensationally blamed police for effectively ‘killing’ him in an exclusive Daily Mail interview.
Jasmine Kneeland revealed her beloved first cousin had been due at a planned family reunion this week in Michigan.
‘I truly think they killed him, I truly do,’ said the 33-year-old cousin at her house in Kneeland’s home city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. ‘Because why else would he run for his life then kill himself in a porta-potty.
Speaking as if Kneeland were still alive, she fought tears as she continued: ‘Marshawn is not a violent person. He is not a hot head. Something here is just not right. Something made him really scared and he ran.
'This is nothing like him at all. He loves his family. He’s like a big kid. He likes making TikTok videos of the little ones in our family, he likes being around them a lot. He was generous with them, always buying stuff.
'I mean, why would he do something like that all of a sudden? That’s not the person I know. Our family is utterly devastated.’
Dallas Cowboys star Kneeland died by apparent suicide at the age of 24 on Wednesday night
Fans participate in a moment of silence before the game between the Panthers and Saints
She added: ‘We had this big reunion planned this week at the home where he grew up. We do that kind of thing. All the children come, all the family come together.
‘We eat, we laugh, we pray together. Everybody’s so proud of Marshawn. He’s come such a long way and there was such love for him.
'He was supposed to be here with us in Grand Rapids. Not dead after a police chase.’
Kneeland sent his family a group text saying ‘goodbye’ during the incident, according to a police audio dispatch.
The two-minute segment also revealed his 22-year-old girlfriend Catalina Mancera warned cops he had a gun and she feared he would kill himself.
‘We’re talking to the girlfriend… she’s saying he’s armed and has a history of mental illness and her quote was “he will end it all",' the dispatcher said in the audio obtained by TMZ Sports.
The tragic star’s uncle Preston Kneeland also told the Daily Mail he was not aware of any history of mental illness, despite the words in the police dispatch.
And he shut down online speculation that drugs might have been involved in the tragedy.
’There’s been social media garbage about drugs, but I can tell you Marshawn hated drugs, absolutely hated them,’ he said. ‘He never smoked, he never touched alcohol and he disliked prescription medicine. He would always try to find a natural way to treat things.'
Frisco Police Department said in a statement: ‘After losing visual of the vehicle, troopers located it minutes later, crashed on southbound Dallas Parkway near Warren Parkway.’ It added the driver ran away.
Details of the weapon Kneeland used to kill himself are not known. His uncle confirmed the player had a permit to carry in Michigan.
Kneeland was haunted by the loss of his mother Wendy who died aged just 45 in February last year from an accidental drug overdose at her home in Buckeye, Arizona.
Earlier this week, a teammate of Kneeland has been left fuming over messages that fans apparently sent him following the defensive end's death.
'Stay outta my DM with the 'this if this doesn't spark Yalls defense'… I could care less about that s** right now,' safety Juanyeh Thomas wrote on X.
'I just lost a brother, that I bled, sweated and cried tears with… Yall so caught up in this sports stuff , that y'all Mfs forget we just like y'all… But I expect that from y'all…..'
