The NFL community is keeping New England Patriots rookie tight end Eli Raridon in its thoughts this week.
Raridon, the No. 95 overall pick from this year’s NFL Draft, started his career with a touchdown in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. A little over two weeks later, he had heartbreaking news to share with the rest of the world.
It was sadly confirmed that Raridon and his wife Anna lost their newborn child, Peter James, on Sept. 11, 2026. Their son was diagnosed with a terminal condition called anencephaly.
“When Eli and I went in for our 20-week anatomy scan, excited to see our sweet baby boy, our hearts were forever changed. Our little one was diagnosed with anencephaly, a fatal condition in which he would not survive outside the womb. While we are absolutely devastated that we were unable to bring our baby boy home, I am grateful to have loved him deeply, kept him safe, and had been his home for the past 9 months before he was called back to Heaven,” Anna Raridon wrote on Instagram.
“I have often found it easy to glorify the Lord when life is going well, but it is in our deepest trials that we are drawn closest to Him. We may never understand the why behind this journey, but one thing we know with certainty is that God promises to care for His children. I believe our little boy was lovingly knitted together in the womb by God, knowing how deeply he would be loved by our families, our friends, Eli, and me. Though his time with us was brief, his life still precious, his purpose still meaningful, and he will forever be a part of our story. I have loved you every second of your life & will miss you every second of mine. What a sweet sweet reunion ours will be.”
Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images.
Prayers pouring in for the Raridon family.
NFL fans, especially those who reside in Massachusetts, are sending heartfelt messages to the Raridon family on social media.
“That’s just awful. Love to Eli and his wife. Take all the time you need man. Every single second,” a Patriots fan wrote on X.
“Terrible. So much love and prayers to the entire family,” a second fan commented.
“There is not a strong enough word to describe this level of heartbreak,” another fan said.
“Pray for Eli. How terrible it is to suffer from the loss of a little one,” another person replied.
It’s unclear if Raridon will miss time this season to be with his family. We’re certainly wishing him all the best.
