New England Patriots rookie tight end Eli Raridon and his wife, Anna, are grieving the loss of their newborn son, Peter James, after a heartbreaking diagnosis turned their pregnancy into a fight through pain and uncertainty.
The couple shared the news in a joint Instagram post on Tuesday afternoon, revealing that doctors first discovered anencephaly during their 20-week anatomy scan. The severe, incurable neural tube defect prevents parts of the brain and skull from developing correctly, and medical professionals told the family their baby would not survive outside the womb.
Even with that devastating prognosis, Anna carried Peter James to term. He was born on September 11 and passed away shortly after birth.
“Our angel, Peter James Raridon, was born on September 11th,” a post on Anna’s Instagram account reads. “When Eli and I went in for our 20th-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 nine months before he was called back to Heaven.”
Anna and Eli were married in May of 2025, and Peter was their first child.
Raridon’s on-field start has come in the middle of that personal tragedy. The Patriots picked him in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Notre Dame tight end has appeared in two games this season.
He caught his first NFL pass in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, and it went for a two-yard touchdown. In Week 2 against Pittsburgh, he added a 30-yard reception.
A thigh injury kept him out of the Week 3 game, but he continues to draw support as he navigates an immense loss.
In Other News...
Jets May Have A Jamien Sherwood Problem They Can't Easily Fix
Jamien Sherwoods importance to the Jets has only grown since he became a team captain and landed a significant contract extension, but his play in coverage has become a real issue. Through the 2025 and 2026 seasons, that part of his game has been a weak spot, and it showed again against the Lions, when he was picked on repeatedly in the passing game.
The problem for the Jets is that they may not have an easy answer waiting behind him. Sherwoods role still carries the weight of leadership and expectation, but with limited defensive alternatives on the roster, the team does not have much flexibility if it wants to change course at linebacker. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Suddenly Have A Bigger O-Line Concern Than Fans Wanted
The Jets moved quickly to shore up the interior of their offensive line, signing Nick Dawkins and Jimmy Morrissey to the practice squad after starting left guard Dylan Parham went down with a knee injury and was ruled out of the game. It was the kind of roster shuffle teams make when they need bodies in a hurry, and it came alongside the decision to waive defensive back Jordan Clark after D'Angelo Ponds returned to the lineup.
For now, though, the bigger concern is what Parhams knee means going forward. As of Tuesday, there was still no update on the severity of the injury or how long he might be sidelined, leaving the Jets to wait on one of the spots where they can least afford uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Finally Have Their Kicker After An Unsettled Start
The Jets have settled their kicker spot after an early shuffle, waiving Blake Grupe and signing Jason Sanders to the active roster. Sanders had been on the practice squad and was elevated three times before the team chose to keep him in place, a sign the club was comfortable with what it saw over the first three games of the season.
Grupe never got into a game for New York before being waived, leaving Sanders as the latest answer at a position that can turn into a weekly test of trust. For a team trying to clean up the small details, finally having some stability there matters, even if the search had to go through an unsettled start to get it. [Read more 🡒]