November 6, 2025 marked a sad day for the Dallas Cowboys and the league when Cowboys defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away. It was a sudden loss, that too in the middle of the season. Kneeland’s death at the age of only 24 made it difficult for those close to him to accept his passing. But mere months after Kneeland’s death, the Cowboys pulled a move that isn’t sitting right with them.
After the draft, the Cowboys are now going head-on into the rookie minicamp. Ahead of the sessions, the team assigned No. 94, Kneeland’s number to undrafted free agent defensive lineman Kelvin Gilliam. Indianapolis Colts safety Juanyeh Thomas, who played with the late DE when he was at Dallas, reacted negatively to it.
“That 94 shoulda been off limits til my brother’s contract fully expired… Just don’t feel right fr…” Thomas said in an X post.
It is likely that Gilliam will only temporarily be wearing this number. It is only a rookie minicamp, not all UDFAs eventually make it to the active roster. By that time, the No. 94 can return to being at rest. But recycling Kneeland’s jersey just six months after his passing sure did catch some attention. Kneeland would have been playing his third season in the league this year.
NEWS: Former #Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas is angry that his ex-teammate Marshall Kneeland’s #94 was given to another player less than a year after his death.
“That 94 shoulda been off limits til my brother’s contract fully expired… Just don’t feel right fr… #94Forever
” pic.twitter.com/ZvnJYsoVYA
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) May 4, 2026
Kneeland died in Frisco, Texas, after playing seven games in the 2025 season. According to reports, he was involved in a high-speed police pursuit before later being found dead. Authorities reported a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and his death was being investigated at that time as a suicide. In his honor, the team decided to sport a special sticker on the helmets to remember their friend for the rest of the 2025 season.
“We just want to continue to honor Marshawn and do everything the very best way we can,” team executive Vice President Stephen Jones said at that time.
Marshawn Kneeland was a special player for the Cowboys, as he was selected in the second round of the 2024 draft. He won’t be written off from memory this soon by the team, who have also remembered him at other times by displaying his jersey during games. But in the future, whoever gets to wear this special number will be carrying a lot of weight on them.
No. 94’s Long Line of Cowboys Greats Adds Weight to Its Reassignment
Some of the franchise’s most iconic defensive players have donned the number, including Hall of Famers DeMarcus Ware and Charles Haley. When a bright Marshawn Kneeland was allowed to wear No. 94, he wanted to outperform everybody who had ever worn it on their jerseys. He wanted to add to the legacy, and eventually “retire” it by the end of his career. Those were bold comments at that time, but they showed how ready he was.
Those words sit heavy today. Kneeland never got a chance to live those dreams.
The Cowboys also have a unique tradition when it comes to jersey numbers. Unlike some other franchises, they don’t formally retire numbers. Instead, they let them to return to circulation over time. They are among five teams to practice this method. Michael Irvin’s No. 88 is worn by wide receiver CeeDee Lamb today.
However, there are some numbers that Dallas doesn’t hand out anymore, like Emmitt Smith’s No, 22. But since Kneeland left this world on such a painful note, the Cowboys could extend his loved ones the grace of keeping his memory alive by including 94 on this list as well.
