Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell has announced that his father, Jim, has died.

The team’s fourth-year signal caller has been away from the facility since last week to be with family.

O’Connell, 28, grew up in Long Grove, Illinois, as one of six children. He has spoken in the past about the close-knit household that shaped him.

His mother, Kathy, survived a serious car accident in 2020 and required months of rehabilitation. Jim stayed by her side through the surgeries and recovery.

The family also lost O’Connell’s oldest brother, Sean, in November 2022. Sean died unexpectedly at 27 from what authorities described as natural causes related to cardiac issues.

O’Connell played through that grief as Purdue’s starting quarterback and later established a foundation in his brother’s name that focuses on heart-health awareness.

He was a walk-on at Purdue who eventually became a two-time All-Big Ten selection. The Raiders drafted him in the fourth round in 2023.

O’Connell has started 17 games over three-plus seasons and shown a calm presence in the huddle even when the offense around him changed.

This season he sits third on the depth chart behind veteran Kirk Cousins and rookie first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza. Teammates and coaches have described him as a professional who prepares every week as if he will play.

The Raiders organization issued no official statement Thursday evening, but players and staff have privately offered support.

O’Connell’s wife, Jael, a former Purdue volleyball player, has been with him throughout the latest family hardship. Friends from his high school days at Stevenson and his college years in West Lafayette have reached out to express condolences.

Raider Nation, known for its loyalty, has sent messages of sympathy across social media.

Football will wait. O’Connell’s focus remains on his mother, siblings and the rest of the family as they mourn Jim. The timing comes early in a season that already featured roster questions at quarterback. Those questions now take a distant back seat.

O’Connell has shown resilience before. He led Purdue to a Big Ten West title days after Sean’s death and later carved out an NFL career for himself.

The organization will certainly give him as much time as he needs. When he returns, the locker room will be ready.

Our thoughts and prayers are with O’Connell and his family during this difficult time.