Josh Mauro’s death has now been tied to a harrowing scene in a Phoenix Police Department case report that says the former NFL defensive end had been on a four-day cocaine bender before he died of an accidental overdose.
Mauro, who was 35, died in April. The report, first obtained by the California Post, says he had been spending time with several women, including a dancer, in the hours before his death at his Arizona home.
According to the report, Mauro met the dancer a week earlier and later invited her, a friend and two other women to his home in the early hours of April 23. The woman told police that Mauro and his friend began snorting cocaine while “all of them” drank tequila and listened to music.
After a few hours, she said, the dancer and the other women went upstairs to sleep while Mauro and his friend stayed downstairs. When she woke up, she found Mauro alone and apparently dead on the floor. She tried to revive him and called emergency services.
The woman also told police that Mauro had said he’d been on a “bender for four days” before she arrived. She said she noticed he would get frequent nosebleeds and would sweat after snorting cocaine.
The report says investigators found a bottle cap with a white substance near Mauro’s body, along with a white powdery substance near a rolled-up dollar bill, tissues with apparent blood on them and a syringe in a trash can.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner previously ruled Mauro’s death an accidental overdose. That report found traces of fentanyl, cocaine and ethanol in his body, along with cannabinoids and caffeine.
Mauro’s death was first announced by his father, Greg, who wrote: “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.
It added that Mauro “breathed his last breath on this earth and his first breath in heaven.”
Born in St Albans near London, England, Mauro moved to the United States when he was three and grew up in Texas. He became a standout in high school before playing college football at Stanford.
Mauro went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft, then signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent. His time there was short, and he was released during final roster cuts.
He later joined the Arizona Cardinals, where his NFL career took hold. Mauro spent most of his career in Arizona, playing four seasons with the Cardinals from 2014 to 2017 before returning for a second stint from 2020 to 2021.
He worked as a rotational defensive lineman and occasional starter. In 2016, he started 13 games and finished with a career-high 42 tackles.
In Other News...
Former Jaguars Defender Josh Mauro's Death Report Raises Disturbing Questions
Josh Mauros death has taken on a darker edge in the weeks since the former NFL defensive end was found unresponsive at his Arizona home. The Phoenix Police Department case report adds troubling context to a loss that already hit close to home for football fans in the state, where Mauro spent multiple seasons with the Cardinals and carved out a role as a rotational lineman and occasional starter.
The report describes a night that ended after Mauro was partying with several women at his home, and his father later publicly announced the death in a prayerful statement about the familys loss. For an organization that knew him across two stints, the news is a sobering reminder of how quickly a life can unravel once the headlines move from the field to something far more personal. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Secondary Has The Talent But Camp Will Decide Everything
The Cardinals cornerback room has the look of a group that could be a real strength if everything comes together. There is talent at the top, with Denzel Burke and Will Johnson giving Arizona a pair of young corners to build around, and the depth behind them gives the staff options as training camp opens. The bigger question is not whether the unit has enough ability on paper. It is whether the group can stay on the field long enough to show it.
Health has been the common thread hanging over this secondary, and camp figures to tell the story of who can actually hold up over time. Burke already flashed enough as a rookie to suggest he can be more than just a rotational piece, while the rest of the room will be trying to carve out roles and prove the Cardinals can count on them when the season starts. If that happens, this could be a secondary that grows quickly. If it does not, Arizona may be forced to keep searching for answers well beyond August. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Head Into Camp With A Quarterback Problem They Can't Ignore
With training camp set to open July 22 and the first practice coming a day later, the Cardinals are walking into one of the most delicate parts of the summer with their quarterback room still unsettled. Jacoby Brissett and Carson Beck remain in contract talks, leaving Arizona to sort through the last details while Gardner Minshew and Kedon Slovis are the only other quarterbacks currently on the roster.
Brissetts situation carries the most weight because he is already under contract through 2026, yet the sides are still working through a reworked deal that would give him more guaranteed money. Becks rookie contract is its own issue, with the third-round pick also pushing for guarantees, and the timing only adds to the pressure as the Cardinals try to get everyone on the field before camp gets rolling in earnest. [Read more 🡒]