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Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown.

In a perfect world, all Dallas Cowboys inside linebacker DeMarvion Overshown would be talking about before his long awaited return would be how he’s come back from a second catastrophic knee injury in 3 years.

It’s not a perfect world, however, and Overshown didn’t mince words talking to the media on Friday, November 14, as he addressed what was top of mind and weighing on his heart — last week’s tragic suicide of 24-year-old Cowboys edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland.

The Cowboys play for the first time since Kneeland’s death on November 6 when they travel to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football in Week 11.

It will be Overshown’s first game back since tearing his ACL, PCL and MCL in Week 14 of the 2024 regular season.

“A brother, a teammate, and a great human, man … This is something that we we will never move on from,” Overshown told The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “This is something that we won’t just wake up tomorrow, and then everything is gonna be OK. … But it is one of those things where we got to pick it up and we got to move forward, and we got to keep Marshawn’s legacy alive. And that was smiling every day, enjoying the grit and the hard work that comes with this. That’s playing with the passion when we get out there with our brothers. And most importantly, that’s doing it the Marshawn Kneeland way, and that’s having fun while doing it. … We will keep his legacy alive, that’s for sure.”

Texas authorities said that after a brief car pursuit on Wednesday, November 5, ended at the Cowboys’ practice facility around 10:30 p.m., Kneeland exited his vehicle and fled on foot.

Three hours later, the police used drones to be able to identify Kneeland’s body in a portable restroom after he’d died of what was later determined to be a self inflicted gunshot wound.

Overshown Coming Back From Another Knee Injury

Overshown was at the end of of a breakout season in 2024 when he was hurt, with 90 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 8 TFL, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 4 pass deflections and one interception returned for a touchdown through 13 games.

It was his second consecutive season with a season-ending knee injury after tearing his ACL in the 2023 preseason, and while he will play Monday he will be on something of a “pitch count” according to Machota.

He’s actually ahead of schedule in his return, with the Thanksgiving Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs his initial targeted return.

“We talked about it, and that’s what you want to do coming off of any injury, especially for a guy that hasn’t played in 300 some days, just ramping them up and getting to it, Overshown said. “But we already know, man, it’s winning football time. So when the time comes, when the situation comes, if I’m at that play count or that limit, we already have made the conversation where, look, it’s a play that needs to be made, I got to be on the field.”

Cowboys Will Honor Kneeland With Helmet Decal

With the Cowboys on a bye in Week 10, NFL teams honored Kneeland with a moment of silence before their games. The Cowboys will wear a special helmet decal the rest of the season to honor Kneeland, as well as specially made warm up shirts before each of their next 2 games.

Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame