According to Matt's husband Ricky Whitcomb, Matt was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease two decades ago and he died as a result of an infection.

Ricky shared news of Matt's death via Twitter, with the timing sadly being Christmas Eve.

"With a heavy heart I have to share that my husband @MattNapolitano passed away yesterday morning," he wrote as a caption to a photo of Matt cuddling with his dog.

"He loved his job and he loved bringing the news to your radios and televisions," Ricky added. "An honest journalist who truly cared about facts. You can thank him for the last-minute Jets win today."

On Christmas Eve, the New York Jets achieved a 30-28 victory over the Washington Commanders with a last-minute field goal. The team has endured an overall bitterly disappointing season in 2023.

According to Out Sports, Matt was much loved and admired by his colleagues.

This sentiment was exemplified by writers like Jerry Beach, who shared on Twitter, "On this Christmas Eve, please keep in your thoughts the husband, family, and friends of @MattNapolitano, who died this weekend. He was an unbelievably funny and talented person and it was a privilege to get to know and befriend him when he was a Hofstra student covering sports at the U."