Ex-NFL defensive end Josh Mauro dead at 35 as family shares emotional social media tribute

Former NFL defensive end Josh Mauro has died, his family announced Tuesday. He was 35 years old.

Greg Mauro, Josh’s father, announced his son’s death in a Facebook post, saying he passed on April 23.

“With many tears and broken hearts, yet anchored in the unshakable certainty that our precious Josh Mauro is now healed and made news – live 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 wrote in the post.

“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.”

No cause of death was shared.

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Mauro entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford, signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014. But the Steelers didn’t hold on to the 6-foot-6, 290-pound defensive end long, cutting him during final roster moves before the start of the season. 

However, Mauro landed with the Arizona Cardinals, and he would spend the next four seasons in the desert helping their defensive line. 

Over six seasons with the Cardinals, Mauro collected 83 combined tackles and four sacks across 55 games (29 starts). He worked himself into a starting role in 2016, where he saw seven tackles for loss across 15 games. 

Mauro also spent time with the New York Giants and then-Oakland Raiders before a return to the Cardinals for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. 

Mauro was born in England, where his father was stationed for work. He would eventually move from England to Texas and work up a high school resume that allowed him to play Division I football at Stanford. 

Across 80 career games, Mauro had five sacks, 130 combined tackles (20 for loss), two forced fumbles and five passes defended.

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