An Elliss family first: Brothers Christian (Patriots) and Jonah (Broncos) to go at in AFC Championship game

New England Patriots

“I’m excited. Excited for the opportunity to be able to play against him. That’s not something that you get often.”

Years ago, back when playing in the NFL was just a childhood dream, Christian and Jonah Elliss would spend time in their parents’ basement recreating their favorite big hits they saw during games.

Christian is five years older than Jonah, so he had the upper hand back then.

“We would be like, ‘All right, we’re going to do this one now,’ and I would run into him and he would lay me out,” Jonah said. “That was just a core memory. I don’t have many memories from Michigan, I was pretty young, but stuff like that stuck.”

Their father, two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Luther Elliss, said Christian was always a bit of a daredevil. A loving and kind big brother, but also fearless with a bit of a mischievous streak.

“Always willing to test the parameters of rules, if you will,” Luther said. “Checking the boundaries. Not afraid of anything.”

Jonah, on the other hand, was animated and energetic, climbing on things, making funny faces, and trying to keep up with his older brothers.

Christian admits he sometimes took things too far, but it was all in fun. In this football-loving family, contact was simply a part of growing up.

Luther and Rebecca Elliss have a dozen children. Five are biological, and seven are adopted. There are eight boys and four girls with ages ranging from 14-29. Three of the Elliss siblings currently play linebacker in the NFL.

Kaden, the oldest, is on the Falcons. Christian, the second oldest of the boys, is on the Patriots. Jonah, one of the younger Ellises, is in his second year with the Broncos. All three are linebackers.

The brothers grew up training together and competing against each other, but the stakes have never been higher than this weekend. With Christian and Jonah on opposite sides of Sunday’s AFC Championship game, one will go to the Super Bowl, and the other will be eliminated from the playoffs.

“He’s one of my best friends in the world and now he’s my little big brother because he’s bigger than me,” Christian said. “I’m excited. Excited for the opportunity to be able to play against him. That’s not something that you get often.”

Having a son on both sides of a playoff game can be both exciting and bittersweet. There are a lot of emotions, but the main one is gratitude, Luther said.

“I want them to play well and enjoy this game, as big of a game as it is,” Luther said. “Whatever the outcome is, if there’s any anxiety, it will be the end of the game. I know they’ll be excited for the winner and saddened for whoever loses the game, as we all will.

“It’s one of those things where you wish that they both could win, but that’s not life. We’ve always talked about that. Life’s not fair and you’ve got to be able to enjoy what you’ve been given in the moment.”

Christian, who signed with the Patriots in 2023, finished this past regular season second on the team in tackles with 94.

Jonah, a third-round pick out of Utah last year, was the only one of the brothers to be drafted. Kaden and Christian earned spots as undrafted free agents after playing college football together at Idaho.

Since they both play on defense, Christian and Jonah’s best shot at matching up against each other Sunday would be on special teams. They both hope that they’ll get a chance to hit each other.

“We’ve never been on the same field at the same time, so it’s special to me,” Christian said. “I’m so excited to have his jersey and frame that and have this moment last forever because my favorite moment, even up to this moment, was playing against my older brother when he was on the Saints.”

But, make no mistake, whichever one loses will likely be subjected to plenty of trash talk.

“The other person is never going to hear the end of it,” Jonah said. “That’s all I’ve got to say about it. It will be leverage for life, for sure.”

The family loves to bond through competition. They’ve made the Elliss family Olympics an event each July.

There’s usually two or three teams made up of family and close friends competing in everything from cornhole to Catan. The events are decided by a family vote. They include team sports, such as basketball, volleyball, and dodgeball, but activities such as brain-teasers, video games, and pie-eating contests are also in the mix. Captains are selected based on who scored the most points the previous year, and they get to draft their teammates. Thick skin is required because the competition gets intense.

“A lot of fun, a lot of competition, a lot of fights, a lot of tears,” Kaden said. “We throw down big time. There’s some big feelings during the family Olympics, but it’s something special that we’ve done for a long time and we’re getting better and better on how to do it as adults every year.

“It’s a lot of fun though, you pick teams, you make jerseys, you get a theme song, and you roll. Nobody gets enough sleep during that time. Nobody eats enough, nobody drinks enough, but that’s all right because we’re going at it.”

Attendance at the family Olympics is non-negotiable, Rebecca said. With Kaden, Christian, and Jonah away playing in the NFL and Luther coaching defensive line at Utah, it’s a family reunion of sorts, the only time the entire family is guaranteed to be in the same place each year.

“It just makes sure everyone is there. It gives us something fun. It gives us something to look forward to and do together,” Rebecca said. “It gives us competition and we’re pretty competitive. That’s the reasoning behind it and why Luther and I feel so strongly about continuing it. It’s our family time, the only time we get.”

No matter which team wins Sunday, there will be plenty to talk about at this year’s family Olympics. Their rooting interests for Sunday’s game are split right down the middle.

“I’m going 50-50. I might just wear a big old navy blue sweat suit and cover all my bases,” Kaden said. “What I really hope is that Jonah obliterates Drake Maye and the Patriots offense. I hope that Christian obliterates [Jarrett] Stidham and the Broncos offense. I hope it’s 2-0 and that one of my brothers gets a safety to win it. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Khari A. Thompson

Sports Reporter

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.