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ESPN's Adam Schefter Announces Heartbreaking Personal News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Andrew McCarty | Last updated Jan 8, 2025 11:55 AM ET

On Wednesday morning beloved NFL insider Adam Schefter made a heartbreaking personal announcement.

"This was a day we knew was coming since last February, and yet there still is an overwhelming sense of sadness. We had planned to put down our beloved Benny, who was our baby for over 15 years," Schefter said, revealing the loss of his dog.

"He had liver cancer that had spread, he could barely stand anymore, and he stopped eating. We scheduled a vet to come to our house at 11 am today, and spent all of Monday and Tuesday crying over, and with, Benny. And then, when we woke this morning for the day we dreaded, Benny was gone. He died in his sleep. We are in shock."

Schefter revealed the labradoodle, Benny, was one of five he and his wife share, but held a unique place in the insider's heart.

"Our life revolves around our family, our dogs and, for better or worse, my work. But unlike our family or my work, dogs never give us any aggravation -- only love and loyalty," Schefter said. "Benny was one of our five labradoodles; but he truly was one of one. He wasn’t a good boy; he was the best boy -- and we told that to him regularly. Benny never bit anyone, never attacked one of our other dogs when they attacked him, he was such a gentle boy."

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This was a day we knew was coming since last February, and yet there still is an overwhelming sense of sadness.

We had planned to put down our beloved Benny, who was our baby for over 15 years. He had liver cancer that had spread, he could barely stand anymore, and he… pic.twitter.com/gnALkDvEeE
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 8, 2025

Upon learning that Benny's cancer had returned, Schefter put in a call to the late Chris Mortensen.

"On Feb. 23, 2024, his doctor told us Benny had two to three months to live. My wife and I were devastated. I remember the next week calling my dear friend Chris Mortensen because he was one of the only close friends I had who understood what it was like to love and lose animals," Schefter revealed. "I cried to Mort, and listened to him talk about how much our pets mean to us. He did his best to pick me up, and he did briefly -- until I got a call a few days later that we lost Mort, too. My last conversation with Mort was all about Benny; now both are gone."

In a final message for his beloved dog, Schefter wrote, "We loved him and already miss him terribly. Rest easy, Benny."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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