ENGLAND — Former NFL defensive end Josh Mauro died on April 23, 2026, in England at the age of 35. His father, Greg Mauro, confirmed the death in a Facebook post, and no cause has been disclosed.

"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 wrote. He added: "On Thursday, April 23rd, Josh breathed his last breath on this earth and his first breath in heaven."

Mauro was born in England and moved to Texas with his family at age three. At L.D. Bell High School, he recorded 80 tackles, 12 sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one blocked kick during his senior season. He went on to play college football at Stanford University, where he majored in management science and engineering. He came from an athletic family, and three of his brothers played college football.

Mauro went undrafted in the 2014 NFL draft. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent and was released during the final round of roster cuts before joining the Arizona Cardinals later that year.

He played eight NFL seasons with the Cardinals (2014–17, 2020–21), the New York Giants (2018) and the Las Vegas Raiders (2019). He finished his career with 150 tackles and five sacks over 80 games, starting 40 of those contests. As a starter he recorded 130 tackles, along with five passes defended and two forced fumbles across his career. During the 2018 season with the Giants, he was suspended for the first four games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances, then appeared in 12 games with four starts, recording 28 tackles and one sack.

In 2017, Mauro returned to the United Kingdom to play with the Cardinals in London. "Every Sunday when I take the field I appreciate it. I am grateful, and I embrace it. This game has been wonderful to me," he said at the time.

The Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders paid tribute to him following news of his death. Former NFL safety Adrian Wilson said: "Always in shape, always was ready to go wherever he got that call. One of the things I respected most about him. You could depend on him."