SouthernWorldwide.com – The cause of death for former NFL defensive end Josh Mauro has been revealed, with reports indicating an overdose involving fentanyl, cocaine, and ethanol.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s office determined that Mauro succumbed to “acute combined fentanyl, cocaine, and ethanol intoxication,” according to The Post.
The medical examiner officially ruled Mauro’s death as accidental.
The news of Mauro’s passing was first shared by his father, Greg Mauro, on Facebook last month. He announced that his son had died on April 23.
Greg Mauro expressed the profound grief of his family in his Facebook post. He stated, “With many tears and broken hearts, yet anchored in the unshakable certainty that our precious Josh Mauro is now healed and made new – 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.”
He further added, “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.”
Mauro’s journey in the NFL began as an undrafted free agent. He signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014 after his collegiate career at Stanford.
However, the Steelers released the 6-foot-6, 290-pound defensive end during their final roster cuts before the season commenced.
Mauro eventually found a home with the Arizona Cardinals. He went on to spend four seasons with the team, contributing significantly to their defensive line.
During his six seasons with the Cardinals, Mauro recorded 83 combined tackles and four sacks over 55 games, with 29 starts. He earned a starting position in 2016, a season in which he achieved seven tackles for loss across 15 games.
His NFL career also included stints with the New York Giants and the then-Oakland Raiders, before he returned to the Cardinals for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Mauro was born in England, a period when his father was stationed there for work. He later relocated from England to Texas, where he developed a high school football career that paved the way for him to play Division I football at Stanford.
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Throughout his 80 career games, Mauro accumulated five sacks, 130 combined tackles (20 of which were for a loss), two forced fumbles, and five passes defended.
