Josh Mauro, a defensive end who spent eight seasons in the NFL after being drafted out of Stanford, died Thursday. He was 35.
Mauro's father, Greg Mauro, confirmed the news in a Facebook
post Tuesday, writing that the family was moving through the loss "with many tears and broken hearts, yet anchored in the unshakable certainty that our precious Josh is now healed and made new—living in the presence of the Lord."
"On Thursday, April 23rd, Josh breathed his last breath on this earth and his first breath in heaven," Greg Mauro wrote, asking for prayers for the family as they navigate "the devastating loss of our amazing son, brother, uncle, grandson and friend."
The Raiders, one of Mauro's former teams, expressed their condolences in a
statement Tuesday. "The Raiders mourn the loss of Josh Mauro," the organization said, noting that Mauro played 13 games with seven starts during the 2019 season with the Silver and Black, recording 19 total tackles. "The deepest condolences of the Raiders Family are with Josh's family and friends at this time."
Mauro's longest and most prominent association was with the Arizona Cardinals, where he had three separate stints on the defensive line, according to a
statement from the team. He first joined the Cardinals under head coach Bruce Arians, playing a significant role from 2014 to 2017 and starting 13 games in 2016. He returned twice more to help stabilize the defensive line under head coach Kliff Kingsbury following injuries in 2020 and 2021. In 55 career games with Arizona, Mauro registered four sacks.
"We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Josh Mauro," the Cardinals said. "Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all who knew him. We extend our deepest condolences to everyone grieving this loss."
Former Cardinals safety and front-office executive Adrian Wilson
remembered Mauro on X as a dependable, team-first player. "Always in shape, always was ready to go wherever he got that call," Wilson wrote. "You could depend on him."
Coming off his 2016 season with Arizona, Mauro reflected on what it meant to be part of something larger than individual achievement. "It's bigger than you making plays, it's bigger than getting your name called, it's bigger than the newspaper having your numbers," he said at the time, according to the Cardinals.
Raiders Defensive end Maxx Crosby, who played alongside Mauro in Oakland during the 2019 season, posted a video tribute to Facebook on Tuesday describing the weight of the loss.
Crosby recalled that Mauro was the first—and likely only—veteran to reach out after he was drafted, a gesture that stayed with him.
"I truly cannot believe you're gone," Crosby said in the
video. "You were the first and probably only vet to text me when I got drafted. We came from the same area in Texas, the DFW, literally from right down the street from me. I've known and admired you from afar for a long time, somebody I looked up to."
The cause of Mauro's death has not been made public.
