Former NFL Participant Passes Away At 35
Former NFL defensive end Josh Mauro has passed away, his family announced.
He was 35.
“With many tears and broken hearts, yet anchored in the unshakable certainty that our precious Josh Mauro is now healed and made new—living in the presence of the Lord—we humbly covet your prayers as our family walks through the devastating loss of our amazing son, brother, uncle, grandson and friend,” Greg Mauro, his father, wrote on Facebook.
“On Thursday, April 23rd, Josh breathed his last breath on this earth and his first breath in heaven.
The Lord has been our strength in this unimaginable moment. Your prayers for continued strength and comfort mean more to us than words could ever express,” he added.
His cause of death is unclear.
The former NFL defensive end died of an undisclosed cause at 35. https://t.co/3H0GcQG26a
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 28, 2026
TMZ shared further:
Mauro, a defensive lineman, went undrafted in 2014 after starring at Stanford … where he was nominated for several national awards as a senior. He was named to the All-Pac 12 honorable mention team, too.
Josh signed with the Steelers, but was cut at the end of training camp … though he wasn’t out of a job for long. Mauro was signed to the Cardinals, and spent four seasons in Arizona.
In 2018, he signed with the N.Y. Giants — and played 12 games for Big Blue, before stints with the Oakland Raiders (2019) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2020) before returning to the Cardinals, where he appeared in 8 games — his last stint in the NFL.
Mauro had 130 tackles and five sacks in his NFL career.
Former NFL DE Josh Mauro passed away last week at just 35, his family announced.
A Stanford grad, Mauro played six seasons with the Cardinals (2014-17, 20-21), one with the Giants (2018), and one with the Raiders (2019).
In 80 career games he had 130 tackles and 5 sacks. RIP 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/t4ItOGnnfu
— Nick Walters (@nickwalt) April 28, 2026
PEOPLE noted:
One person who commented remembered Mauro as “such a high-motor guy on the field, especially during those early years with the Cardinals where he really made a name for himself as a run-stuffer,” and called the loss “absolutely heartbreaking.”
Sports podcaster Rudy Reyes posted, “Saddens me greatly. One thing to note, he was in Steelers Camp but didn’t make the cut. I interviewed Josh Mauro prior to going to the pros. He was an outstanding person. My condolences go to his family right now.”