How Many Brothers Are In The NFL?
Contents
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how many brothers have played in the NFL throughout the years.
Introduction
The answer may surprise you, but as of the 2019 season, there are a total of seven brothers who are active in the NFL. That number could jump to eight if new Minnesota Viking rookie lineman Dru Samia makes the team’s final roster. Here’s a look at the seven sets of NFL brothers currently playing together.
How Many Brothers Are In The NFL?
As of 2019, there are six brothers currently playing in the NFL. This includes two sets of brothers: the Long brothers and the Manning brothers. The Long brothers are Chris Long and Kyle Long, while the Manning brothers are Peyton Manning and Eli Manning.
Peyton and Eli Manning
Peyton and Eli Manning are two of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history. But they’re also brothers. In fact, they’re the only brothers who have both won Super Bowl MVPs.
Eli Manning was drafted first overall by the San Diego Chargers in 2004, but he was traded to the New York Giants on draft day. He went on to lead the Giants to two Super Bowl victories, in 2008 and 2012. He was named Super Bowl MVP in both games.
Peyton Manning, meanwhile, was drafted first overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. He spent 14 seasons with the Colts, winning one Super Bowl in 2006. He then spent four seasons with the Denver Broncos, winning another Super Bowl in 2015. He was named Super Bowl MVP that year as well.
Michael and Martellus Bennett
Michael and Martellus Bennett are two brothers who both play in the National Football League. Michael, the Older of the two, is a defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks. Martellus, a tight end, most recently played for the New England Patriots but is currently a free agent. The Bennetts are originally from Houston, Texas.
J.J. and T.J. Watt
As of the 2019 NFL season, there are two brothers who are active in the NFL: T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Derek Watt of the Los Angeles Chargers. This is down from three brothers who were active in the NFL last season, as J.J. Watt, also of the Houston Texans, announced his retirement in October 2019.
Jason and Travis Kelce
The Chiefs’ All-Pro tight end is one of two brothers in the NFL, along with his Eagles counterpart. While their parents were both athletes — their father, Ed, played for the University of Detroit and their mother, Donna, was a volleyball player at Bowling Green — Kelce didn’t start playing football until high school. He went on to play at the University of Cincinnati, where he was teammates with current Ravens offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith.
Conclusion
Based on our research, there are currently 69 sets of brothers in the NFL. This number includes both active and inactive players, as well as those who are on practice squads. The largest group of brothers is the Mannings, with three members currently in the league.
