ESPN's Dan Orlovsky shares sudden death of his brother-in-law, asks fans to support his sister's family

What Orlovsky shared

ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky told his followers on Thursday, Oct. 15, that his family is grieving the sudden death of his brother-in-law. In a post on X, Orlovsky wrote that "this weekend, our family experienced an unimaginable tragedy," and said there were no words for the heartbreak of losing "a husband, a partner, and a father so suddenly." ^{[1] [2]}

Orlovsky identified his brother-in-law as Fed, who was married to Orlovsky's sister and was the father of their three sons. A GoFundMe page Orlovsky shared names him as Federico Lascano. Orlovsky did not say how his brother-in-law died, and none of the outlets reporting on the post have described a cause of death. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

In a separate Instagram Story, Orlovsky wrote that his sister lost her husband on Sunday morning and that his nephews lost their dad, adding, "Please help if you can," according to EssentiallySports. ^[3]

A fundraiser for his sister and nephews

The main purpose of the post was to ask for help. Orlovsky wrote that his sister is now navigating life as a solo parent in a single-income household while helping her sons cope with the loss of their father. He shared a fundraiser and asked people who could not donate to share it and keep the family in their thoughts. ^{[1] [2]}

The GoFundMe, titled "Support the Lascano Family After the Loss of Federico," says the money is meant to cover everyday living expenses and help Orlovsky's sister get back on her feet. EssentiallySports reported Thursday that the campaign had raised more than $69,000 toward a $120,000 goal at the time of its report. Athlon Sports noted that Orlovsky said gifts of any size would ease the family's burden and give them room to grieve. ^{[3] [2]}

Colleagues respond

The post drew a quick response. The Big Lead reported that within its first hour it had roughly 3,900 likes, 373 reposts and 254 replies. Among those reacting was Laura Rutledge, Orlovsky's co-host on ESPN's "NFL Live," who replied, "Praying for your family. I'm so sorry," and reposted his message. ^{[1] [4]}

ESPN fantasy football analyst Field Yates also replied on X, writing that it was "so incredibly sad to read this news" and that he was praying for Orlovsky's family, EssentiallySports reported. ^[4]

Who is Dan Orlovsky

Orlovsky, 43, is a Connecticut native and former UConn quarterback who spent 12 seasons in the NFL, mostly as a backup. Since retiring he has become one of ESPN's most visible football voices, appearing regularly on "First Take" and "NFL Live." He and his wife, Tiffany, have four children. ^[1]

The announcement came during Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season, Athlon Sports noted. Orlovsky has not said whether he plans to step away from his ESPN duties, and the network had not commented publicly on his post in the reports reviewed for this article. ^{[2] [1]}