The New England Patriots punched their ticket to Super Bowl LX on Sunday afternoon with a 10-7 victory over the Denver Broncos. One of the stars of the game was linebacker Christian Elliss, but immediately after the win, there was one player on the Broncos he sought out.
That player was his brother, Jonah Elliss, who is a linebacker for Denver. While Christian forced a fumble from Jarrett Stidham that set up New England’s only touchdown of the game, Jonah could not tackle Drake Maye on a crucial 3rd & 6 play late in the fourth quarter that essentially won the game for the Pats.
There’s no doubt that Christian is thrilled to have helped lead his team to the Super Bowl. But he also knew that this loss would devastate Jonah, and he ended up consoling him on the field shortly after the Broncos were eliminated from the playoffs.
In his first season working with head coach Mike Vrabel, Christian turned himself into a key piece of the Patriots’ defense. He racked up 94 tackles, three pass deflections, and one forced fumble in the regular season, with his strong play carrying over into the playoffs.
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Christian and Jonah have two more brothers, Kaden and Noah, who are also in the NFL. Their father, Luther, also spent 10 years in the NFL as a Pro Bowl-caliber defensive lineman, primarily playing for the Detroit Lions.
While the Elliss family was split on who they were rooting for, they will all be pulling for Christian to win a championship with New England now that Denver’s season is over. The Patriots will finish off their 2025 campaign with a high-profile matchup against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
Featured image via Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images
