Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss can’t wait to hit brother in AFC Championship

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Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss can’t wait to hit brother in AFC Championship

Mark Daniels · MassLive

Mon, Jan 19, 2026 ·

3 min read

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FOXBOROUGH – Christian Elliss can’t wait to hit his brother.

The Patriots linebacker comes from a family with a rich football tradition, as one of three brothers currently playing in the NFL. This season, Elliss had the pleasure of playing in the same game as his older brother, Kaden Elliss , when the Patriots took on the Atlanta Falcons .

Elliss noted he tried to hit his brother as hard as he could on a special teams play and hopes to recreate that fun in Sunday’s AFC Championship game against his younger brother, Jonah Elliss .

“We’re excited. It’s a huge blessing for our family,” Elliss said. “You know, one of us is going to the Super Bowl one way or the other. So we’re very excited. For me, it’s a little bit of smack talking, a little bit of, we have something between him, and we’ll have a little side bet, and the loser will be reminded forever.”

The boy’s father, Luther Elliss, was a Pro Bowl defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions . The elder Elliss played 10 years in the NFL. Luther and his wife, Rebecca, have 12 children, with seven who are adopted. The family had five sons play football, with four getting a shot in the NFL - Kaden, Christian, Noah, and Jonah.

All the brothers have had different journeys, but this season has been special. In Week 9, Elliss had a chance to go up against Kaden, who is in his seventh NFL season. The first time they played against each other was when Elliss was in Philadelphia and Kaden played for New Orleans .

Elliss said this will be the first time he and Jonah play against one another.

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

“And I remember blocking him. He was on punt (coverage), I was on punt return. I came, and I tried to blow him up. We’re laughing the entire way down the field. And out of all my moments, you know, Super Bowl, big plays, all that, that’s probably my favorite one so far, is the one that I’m going to hold on to forever.”

On Sunday, there’s a lot on the line for the Elliss family, as at least one member will go to the Super Bowl.

Both brothers have played vital roles in their team’s defense. Elliss has started 13 of 15 games for the Patriots, finishing second on the team with a career-high 94 tackles. A third-round pick in 2024, Jonah Elliss has 2.5 sacks and five quarterback hits for a talented Broncos defense.

Elliss noted both play on special teams, so he hopes to get a chance to hit his younger brother.

“I hope so. I think he’s on all four, and I’m on a few, so I really hope they try to put him on me,” Elliss said, who noted they hit each other often as children. “There’s a few times where I took it too far. But he’s one of my best friends in the world, and now he’s my little big brother because he’s bigger than me. I’m excited. I’m really excited for that opportunity to be able to play against him. It’s not something you get often.”

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