Jordan Devey, Former NFL guard and Super Bowl champion, passes away by suicide at 38

Jordan Devey, a former NFL offensive lineman and Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, has passed away at the age of 38. His family confirmed that the Utah native died by suicide on July 23, 2026.

Devey appeared in 44 career games with 21 starts across seven seasons and five teams. He was part of the Patriots roster that won Super Bowl XLIX after the 2014 season, seeing action in seven regular-season games that year. The following season, he played 15 games and made nine starts for the San Francisco 49ers. He later spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, and finished with one game for the Buffalo Bills in 2020 before retiring in 2021.

Family shares heartbreaking news

A fundraising page set up for Jordan Devey’s wife and children stated the cause of death clearly. “Tragically, Jordan took his own life, leaving his family to navigate an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking time,” the post read. It noted the family faces emotional and financial challenges, including medical expenses, and asked the community for support.

His wife, Linsey, shared a personal message on social media just days before what would have been the couple’s 15th anniversary. She described the memories they built together, the four children they raised, and called him their hero. Devey is survived by his parents, his wife Linsey, and their four children.

Mother speaks about possible CTE concerns

Jordan Devey’s mother, Leslie, spoke with Fox 13 in Salt Lake City. She said the family believes he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated head trauma in contact sports. However, she explained they will not be able to test for the condition based on the way he died.

CTE can only be definitively diagnosed after death through a full brain examination. The family’s comments have renewed conversations about long-term health risks for former NFL players.

A difficult path to the NFL

Jordan Devey’s football journey was never straightforward. He sat out high school football because of Osgood-Schlatter disease, a painful knee condition. He played tuba in the band and basketball instead, then served a two-year church mission in Costa Rica. He later walked on at Snow College, transferred to the University of Memphis, earned All-Conference honors, and signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2013. The Patriots claimed him soon after and gave him his first real opportunity.

After retiring, Devey stayed close to the game by coaching youth teams and mentoring players at Eagle High School in Idaho. Friends and former teammates remembered him as a reliable teammate and a caring father and husband.

The news of his death has left many in the NFL community stunned. Several of his former teams issued statements of condolence, praising both his on-field contributions and the relationships he built.