NEW YORK, NY (January 25, 2026) — On a day meant for the celebration of the AFC Championship, the sports world has been plunged into a state of profound shock and mourning. In a tearful, devastating statement issued from CBS studios in Manhattan, NFL legend and broadcaster Boomer Esiason confirmed that Alex Jeffrey Pretti—the 37-year-old ICU nurse fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday—was his son.

The announcement came just hours before Esiason was scheduled to go on air for The NFL Today’s Championship Sunday coverage. Instead of breaking down quarterback matchups, the former MVP stood visibly shaken outside the studio, delivering news that has turned a day of sport into a moment of national reflection.

The Confirmation

Esiason, 64, a figure known for his boisterous energy and articulate commentary, appeared broken as he addressed a small gathering of reporters.

“It is with a shattered heart that I must confirm the news,” Esiason said, his voice trembling. “The young man taken from us in Minneapolis… Alex… he was my son. He was a man of peace, a healer, and a light in this world that has been extinguished far too soon. We ask for privacy as we try to comprehend this senseless tragedy.”

The revelation of the biological connection between the former Bengals quarterback and the Minneapolis nurse has added a layer of surreal shock to a story that was already dominating headlines due to the contentious circumstances of the shooting.

A Life of Service

While the world now knows him as the son of an NFL icon, to the community in Minneapolis, Alex Pretti was simply “Alex”—a dedicated professional who spent his days saving lives, far removed from the gridiron glory of his father.

Pretti, 37, served as an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. Colleagues describe him as a tireless advocate for veterans, a man who possessed a rare reservoir of empathy and patience.

“Alex didn’t care about football or fame; he cared about people,” said Dr. Sarah Arrington, a colleague at the VA. “He worked the longest shifts, took the hardest cases, and treated every veteran like they were his own family. To hear he was killed… it’s incomprehensible.”

Friends and family paint a picture of a man who eschewed the spotlight of his lineage to forge his own path in service and activism. He was deeply involved in local community organizing, often attending protests and advocating for immigrant rights—a passion that, tragically, placed him in the proximity of the very law enforcement operation that would end his life.

The Incident: Two Narratives

The shooting occurred on Saturday afternoon on a busy street corner in Minneapolis, where federal immigration agents were conducting a targeted enforcement operation. The events that followed are now the subject of a fierce national debate and a growing demand for accountability.

According to the official statement released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Pretti allegedly “approached agents in a threatening manner” while they were attempting to detain a suspect. The report claims Pretti produced a handgun and resisted disarmament, prompting a Border Patrol agent attached to the task force to fire “defensive shots.”

However, this official narrative has been vehemently disputed by eyewitnesses, family attorneys, and elected officials, fueled by the rapid circulation of bystander video footage.

“He Had a Phone, Not a Gun”

The footage, which has already garnered millions of views on social media, appears to contradict the DHS account. In the video, a man identified as Pretti is seen standing near the perimeter of the arrest, holding what appears to be a smartphone, likely recording the interaction.

Witnesses claim that after Pretti verbally questioned the agents’ treatment of a detainee, the situation escalated with terrifying speed.

“He didn’t have a gun. I swear on my life, he had a phone,” stated Marcus Lewis, a bystander who witnessed the shooting. “He was trying to help a woman who had been pushed to the ground. They pepper-sprayed him first. He couldn’t see. Then they tackled him, and while he was on the ground… that’s when the shots rang out.”

The discrepancy between the “threatening gunman” described by federal authorities and the “blinded, tackled nurse” seen in the video has ignited a firestorm of outrage. Calls for the release of body-camera footage have been immediate and deafening, with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz promising a “full, independent, and transparent investigation.”

A Broadcast in Mourning

In New York, the atmosphere at CBS was somber. Esiason, a staple of Sunday television for decades, stepped away from his broadcasting duties for the day. His colleagues, including Jim Nantz and Nate Burleson, opened the broadcast with a tribute to Alex, their voices cracking with emotion.

“We talk about ‘football family’ often,” Nantz said on air. “But today, a real family is hurting. Boomer is our brother, and Alex was a hero in scrubs. The game feels very small today.”

A National Reckoning

As the shock of the celebrity connection fades, the hard questions regarding the use of force by federal agents on domestic soil remain. Alex Pretti’s death has become a flashpoint, merging the ongoing debate over police accountability with the specific, often opaque operations of federal task forces.

“This tragedy touches every corner of our society,” wrote civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been retained by the family. “From the NFL luxury suites to the ICU wards where heroes work, no one is safe when accountability is absent. Alex Pretti lived a life of saving others. We will not rest until we save his legacy with the truth.”

For Boomer Esiason, the loss is personal and permanent. Known for his public advocacy for cystic fibrosis research on behalf of his son Gunnar, Esiason has always been a champion for healthcare. Now, he grieves a son who dedicated his life to that very field.

The investigation continues, but for now, the roar of the stadium crowd has been replaced by a mourning father’s silence and a nation’s demand for justice.