Eli Raridon's wife, Anna, returned to the New England Patriots sideline to support her husband just weeks after announcing the loss of their baby son, Peter.
The rookie tight end, 22, had five catches for 57 yards in the Patriots' 45-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
And he posed with his wife Anna in a sweet sideline picture she shared on social media less than two weeks after announcing they had lost their newborn son on September 11.
She wore a custom grey sweater featuring her husband's picture and his number, 82. Ann Michael Maye, wife of quarterback Drake, also shared a picture on her social media on the sidelines with Anna.
The couple announced their unimaginable loss in a heartbreaking statement on September 29, sharing Peter James died shortly after birth.
Raridon is just a few weeks into his rookie season in the NFL after being drafted 95th overall by the Patriots out of Notre Dame earlier this year.
Eli Raridon's wife Anna was on the sideline supporting him weeks after losing their baby
Eli Raridon's wife Anna was on the sideline supporting him weeks after losing their baby
Drake Maye's wife, Ann Michael, also shared a picture on the sideline with Anna on Sunday
Drake Maye's wife, Ann Michael, also shared a picture on the sideline with Anna on Sunday
Rookie tight end Raridon had five catches in the best game of his NFL career so far in a big win
Rookie tight end Raridon had five catches in the best game of his NFL career so far in a big win
The high school sweethearts have moved to Boston where he has quickly carved out a role in Drake Maye's offense, scoring his first touchdown on his very first reception in Week 1 just two days before their baby's death.
He left the first game since announcing the news last week due to an ankle injury but was fit to return on Sunday where he had the best game of his NFL career so far with Anna bravely supporting him from the sidelines.
His wife shared that they had learned at her 20-week pregnancy scan that he had been diagnosed with anencephaly, a rare fatal condition that meant he would not survive outside of 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,' she 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.'
The couple announced the loss of their newborn last month as Anna detailed their tragic loss
The couple announced the loss of their newborn last month as Anna detailed their tragic loss
The couple shared that they welcomed Peter James on September 11 but he passed away
The couple shared that they welcomed Peter James on September 11 but he passed away
Raridon and Anna tied the knot in May 2025 before the tight end's final season at Notre Dame
Raridon and Anna tied the knot in May 2025 before the tight end's final season at Notre Dame
Anencephaly is a serious birth defect where, during pregnancy, the neural tube that helps form the baby's brain, skull, spine and backbones does not close all the way, according to the CDC.
At birth, babies with anencephaly often do not have a front part of the brain, thinking and coordinating part of the brain, or bone or skin covering the remaining parts of the brain.
Almost all babies born with anencephaly die shortly after birth. There is no cure or treatment.
Raridon and Anna tied the knot in May 2025 before the tight end's final season at Notre Dame.
The football player popped the question in August 2024 following years of dating with the couple having met at high school.
Anna shared the news that they were expecting their first child together in March, shortly before Raridon was selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
'Half me, half you - fearfully & wonderfully made, thank you Jesus!!! baby Raridon arriving this fall,' she wrote at the time alongside a few photos of the two of them at the beach.