Former NFL Defensive Lineman Josh Mauro dead from accidental drug overdose at 35

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

Former NFL defensive lineman Josh Mauro died from an accidental drug overdose involving fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol, according to records from the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner publicly reported May 15.

Officials determined Mauro’s cause of death was “acute combined fentanyl, cocaine, and ethanol intoxication,” and ruled the manner of death accidental. The former Arizona Cardinals standout died April 23 at age 35.

Mauro was best known for his eight-season NFL career, primarily with the Arizona Cardinals, where he developed into a reliable starting defensive lineman known for his size, versatility and run defense. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing approximately 290 pounds, Mauro played in 80 NFL games with 40 starts and recorded 130 combined tackles, 20 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and five passes defended.

Born in England while his father was stationed there for work, Mauro later moved to Texas, where he emerged as a standout high school football player before earning a scholarship to Stanford University. He played defensive line for the Cardinals from 2010 through 2013 and entered the NFL in 2014 as an undrafted free agent.

Although initially signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mauro was released during final roster cuts before landing with the Arizona Cardinals, where he spent six seasons across two separate stints. His most productive year came in 2016, when he started 13 games and totaled 32 tackles. Mauro also spent one season each with the New York Giants and the then-Oakland Raiders before returning to Arizona for the final two years of his NFL career in 2020 and 2021.

Following news of his death last month, the Cardinals released a statement expressing condolences to Mauro’s family, friends and former teammates. Mauro’s father, Greg Mauro, previously announced his son’s passing in an emotional social media post, describing him as an “amazing son, brother, uncle, grandson and friend.”

Rest in Peace Josh Mauro.

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(Sources: Fox News, ESPN, AP News, Yahoo! Sports, MSN)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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