Former Ohio State quarterback Eli Brickhandler stepped away from football in January. At home, his wife, Sean Kelly, was carrying a different kind of burden. In just four months, she lost two pregnancies. This week, she broke her silence to share how faith held her up when she felt most alone.

“Truthfully, I don’t have all the words this time around,” wrote Sean Kelly Brickhandler on Instagram this week. In a short video, she explained that she and Eli had believed they were expecting again, only to lose the pregnancy.

“The first miscarriage left me feeling embarrassed. I kept asking myself, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ I felt so alone, and for some reason, like this doesn’t happen to anyone.”

Eli and Sean Kelly are already parents to a young daughter, Journie Kaelani. After the first loss, doctors told them another healthy pregnancy was likely. When a second loss came, that reassurance turned into a quiet, painful question in her heart: “How?”

She also shared that unexpected health problems made those months even harder. Through it all, she said she never lost hope in Jesus.

“I’m sad, but I’m faithful,” wrote the former Ohio State QB’s wife. She totally leaned on her faith during that phase, as she had no answers. She leaned hard on her faith when answers ran out. She says she did not share this for pity, but to reach other grieving mothers and let them know they are not walking this road alone.

“I share things like this so nobody feels alone,” added Sean Kelly. “Faith doesn’t mean you don’t cry. Faith doesn’t mean you don’t question. Faith doesn’t mean you have to understand.”

For Sean Kelly, faith means surrendering completely to Jesus, trusting Him even when there is no strength left to take the next step. She hopes her honest story about her recent pregnancy losses will encourage other mothers who are still struggling to find their way through grief.

Though the exact timeframe of the OSU QB’s wife’s miscarriage hasn’t been disclosed, her TikTok account revealed it’s around the time when Eli Brickhandler transferred to OSU following his journey with Houston Christian.

Why did the Ohio State QB retire?

Eli Brickhandler joined Ohio State as a graduate transfer after the 2024 season at Houston Christian, where he threw for 557 yards and four touchdowns. In Columbus, he served as a veteran backup behind quarterbacks such as Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz and did not appear in games.

In January 2026, Brickhandler announced his retirement, calling the game a gift and thanking his coaches. He did not cite personal reasons in his farewell message. Any link between his decision and his family’s private struggles remains unspecified.

“This game has given me more than I could ever put into words. The lessons, the discipline, the relationships, the memories—I’m forever grateful for every coach who believed in me, pushed me, and helped shape me into the player and person I am today,” said the former Ohio State QB.

Eli Brickhandler claims football gave him lessons, discipline, relationships, and memories he will always value. He did not explain his reasons for stepping away beyond wanting to start the next chapter.