Relatives in the NFL: Complete List
Eli and Peyton Manning. J.J., Derek, and T.J. Watt. The NFL is filled with famous athletic families passing their athletic genes down from generation to generation. Playing alongside a brother or following in your father’s footsteps can provide a unique support system and invaluable head start. Let’s explore some of the most prominent relatives in the NFL.
List of Second-Generation NFL Players
Claims of nepotism and elite networking follow every major sports league including the NFL. Some second generation NFL Players have gained the respect of fans while others are debatable.
Active NFL Players are listed in BOLD.
Father | POS. | Son | POS. |
---|---|---|---|
Tony Adamle | RB/LB | Mike Adamle | RB |
George Adams | RB | Jamal Adams | SS |
Julius Adams | DL | Keith Adams | LB |
Sam Adams Sr. | OL | Sam Adams Jr. | DL |
Ray Agnew Jr. | DL | Ray Agnew III | FB |
Allen Aldridge Sr. | DL | Allen Aldridge Jr. | LB |
Bruce Alford Sr. | End | Bruce Alford Jr. | K |
Flipper Anderson | WR | Dres Anderson | WR |
Charlie Ane Jr. | C | Charlie Ane III | C |
Gene Atkins | S | Gene “Geno” Atkins Jr. | DT |
George Atkinson Jr. | S | George Atkinson III | RB |
Marion Barber Jr. | RB | Marion Barber III | RB |
Dominique Barber | S | ||
Rudy Barber | LB | Kantroy Barber | RB |
Bobby Bell Sr. * | LB/DE | Bobby Bell Jr. | LB |
Caesar Belser | LB/S | Jason Belser | S |
Bob Bercich | S | Pete Bercich | LB |
John Bettridge | LB/FB | Ed Bettridge | LB |
Horatio Benedict Blades Sr. | S | Horatio Benedict Blades Jr. | LB |
John Bosa | DE | Joey Bosa | DE |
Nick Bosa | DE | ||
Jonathan “John” Bostic Sr. | DB | Jonathan “Jon” Bostic II | LB |
Ed Bradley Sr. | G/DE | Ed Bradley Jr. | LB |
Harold Bradley Sr. | G | Harold Bradley Jr. | G |
Clyde Brock | T | Matt Brock | DE |
Perry Brooks | DT | Ahmad Brooks | LB |
Tony Brooks | RB | Anthony Barr | LB |
Orlando Brown | OT | Orlando Brown Jr. | OT |
Keith Browner | LB | Keith Browner Jr. | DE |
Ross Browner | DE | Max Starks | T |
Ed Budde | G | Brad Budde | G |
George Buehler | G | David Buehler | K |
Hank Bullough | G | Chuck Bullough | LB |
Jim Burrow | DB | Joe Burrow | QB |
Devin Bush Sr. | S | Devin Bush Jr. | LB |
Gill Byrd | CB | Jairus Byrd | S |
Ken Campbell | WR | Scott Campbell | QB |
Billy Cannon Sr. | RB/TE/E | Billy Cannon Jr. | LB |
Reg Carolan | TE | Brett Carolan | TE |
Maurice Carthon | FB | Ran Carthon | RB |
Rob Carpenter Jr. | RB | Bobby Carpenter III | LB |
Dale Carter | CB | Nigel Warrior | S/CB |
Rubin Carter | DT | Andre Carter | DE |
Wendell Cason | CB | Antoine Cason | CB |
Jeremiah Castille | CB | Tim Castille | FB |
Simeon Castille | CB | ||
Paul Coffman | TE | Chase Coffman | TE |
Craig Colquitt | P | Dustin Colquitt | P |
Britton Colquitt | P | ||
Steve DeOssie | C | Zak DeOssie | LB |
Tony Dorsett * | RB | Anthony Dorsett | S |
Stan Edwards | RB | Braylon Edwards | WR |
Mario Edwards | CB | Mario Edwards Jr. | DE |
Riki Ellison | LB | Rhett Ellison | TE |
Luther Elliss | DT | Kaden Elliss | LB |
George Farmer | WR | Danny Farmer | WR |
Chuck Foreman | RB | Jay Foreman | LB |
Joe Francis | QB | Jon Francis | RB |
Ikaika Alama-Francis | DE | ||
Derrick Gaffney | WR | Jabar Gaffney | WR |
Tom Graham | LB | Daniel Graham | TE |
Bob Griese * | QB | Brian Griese | QB |
Russ Grimm * | G | Cody Grimm | S |
Pat Harlow | T | Sean Harlow | G |
Britt Hager | LB | Bryce Hager | LB |
Don Hasselbeck | TE | Matt Hasselbeck | QB |
Tim Hasselbeck | QB | ||
Andy Heck | OT/OL | Charlie Heck | OT |
Craig Heyward | FB | Cameron Heyward | DT |
Connor Heyward | TE/FB | ||
Wally Highsmith | G | Alonzo Highsmith | RB |
James Hodgins | FB | Isaiah Hodgins | WR |
Joe Horn | WR | Jaycee Horn | DB |
Bobby Humphrey | RB | Marlon Humphrey | CB |
Maurice Hurst (cornerback) | CB | Maurice Hurst Jr. | DL |
Henry Hynoski Sr. | FB | Henry Hynoski Jr. | FB |
Mark Ingram Sr. | WR | Mark Ingram II | RB |
Vanchi LaShawn Jefferson Sr. | WR | Vanchi LaShawn Jefferson Jr. | WR |
Jason Johnson | WR | Jon’Vea Johnson | WR |
Dub Jones | RB | Bert Jones | QB |
Robert Jones | LB | Zay Jones | WR |
Steve Jordan | TE | Cameron Jordan | DE |
Jack Kemp | QB | Jeff Kemp | QB |
Joe Klecko * | DE/DT | Dan Klecko | DT/FB |
Earl Leggett | DT | Brad Leggett | C |
Howie Long * | DL | Chris Long | DE |
Kyle Long | G | ||
Ronnie Lott * | S | Ryan Nece | LB |
Oliver Luck | QB | Andrew Luck | QB |
Archie Manning | QB | Eli Manning | QB |
Peyton Manning * | QB | ||
Marv Marinovich | G | Todd Marinovich | QB |
Jerry Marion | WR | Brock Marion | S |
Tee Martin | QB | Amari Rodgers | WR |
Stafford Mays | DL | Taylor Mays | S |
James McAlister | RB | Chris McAlister | CB |
Ed McCaffrey | WR | Christian McCaffrey | RB |
Luke McCaffrey | WR | ||
Max McCaffrey | WR | ||
Willie McClendon | RB | Bryan McClendon | WR |
Lawrence McCutcheon | RB | Daylon McCutcheon | CB |
Terrence Metcalf | G | DK Metcalf | WR |
Terry Metcalf | PR/RB | Eric Metcalf | PR/WR/RB |
Corey Miller | LB | Christian Miller | LB |
Randy Moss * | WR | Thaddeus Moss | TE |
Ted Nesser Jr. | C/G/T | Charlie Nesser | RB |
Walter Payton * | RB | Jarrett Payton | RB |
Todd Peat | G | Andrus Peat | OT |
Bruce Perkins | RB | Paul Perkins | RB |
Bryce Perkins | QB | ||
Brett Perriman | WR | Breshad Perriman | WR |
Michael Pittman Sr. | RB | Michael Pittman Jr. | WR |
Joey Porter | LB | Joey Porter Jr. | CB |
Ricky Proehl | WR | Austin Proehl | WR |
Montae Reagor | DT | Jalen Reagor | WR |
Willie Jake Reed | WR | J. R. Reed | S |
Terry Robiskie | RB | Brian Robiskie | WR |
Andrew Robiskie | C/G | ||
Jon Runyan Sr. | OT | Jon Runyan Jr. | G |
Tom Ruud | LB | Barrett Ruud | LB |
Asante Samuel Sr. | CB | Asante Samuel Jr. | CB |
Don Shula * | CB | Dave Shula | WR |
Phil Simms | QB | Chris Simms | QB |
Matt Simms | QB | ||
Jackie Slater * | OT | Matthew Slater | WR/ST |
Irv Smith Sr. | TE | Irv Smith Jr. | TE |
Ron Springs | RB | Shawn Springs | CB |
Steve Stonebreaker | LB | Mike Stonebreaker | LB |
Patrick Surtain | CB | Patrick Surtain II | CB |
Steve Suhey | G | Matt Suhey | RB |
Mosi Tatupu | RB | Lofa Tatupu | LB |
Al Toon | WR | Nick Toon | WR |
Manu Tuiasosopo | DL | Marques Tuiasosopo | QB |
Zach Tuiasosopo | FB/RB | ||
Jessie Tuggle | LB | Grady Jarrett | DE |
Justin Tuggle | LB | ||
Maurice Turner | RB | Bryan Kehl | LB |
Billy Turner | OT | ||
Brad Van Pelt | LB | Bradlee Van Pelt | QB |
Ted Washington Sr. | LB | Ted Washington Jr. | DL |
Tim Watson | S | Christian Watson | WR |
David Whitehurst | QB | Charlie Whitehurst | QB |
George Wilson Sr. | E | George Wilson Jr. | QB |
Cedrick Wilson Sr. | WR | Cedrick Wilson Jr. | WR |
Stanley Wilson Sr. | RB | Stanley Wilson Jr. | CB |
Tommy Wilson | HB | Steve Wilson | DB/WR |
Tim Wilson | RB | Josh Wilson | CB |
Antoine Winfield Sr. | CB | Antoine Winfield Jr. | S |
Kellen Winslow * | TE | Kellen Winslow II | TE |
Robert Woods Sr. | WR | Robert Woods Jr. | WR |
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Third-Generation NFL Players
Grandfather | Position | Son(s) | Position | Grandson(s) | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nick Chickillo | LB | Tony Chickillo | NT | Anthony Chickillo | LB |
Ted Karras Sr. | DT | Ted Karras Jr. | DT | Ted Karras III | OL |
Jake Kupp | G | Craig Kupp | QB | Cooper Kupp | WR |
Clay Matthews Sr. | DL | Clay Matthews Jr. | LB | Clay Matthews III | LB |
Casey Matthews | LB | ||||
Bruce Matthews * | OL | Kevin Matthews | OL | ||
Jake Matthews | OL | ||||
Palmer Pyle | G | Eric Kumerow | DE | Jake Kumerow | WR |
George Pyne II | T | George Pyne III | DT | Jim Pyne | OL |
Has a Dad Ever Coached His Son in the NFL?
Yes, it’s happened a few times in NFL history. Most notably, Wade Phillips served as defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos from 2015-2016 while his father Bum Phillips was the team’s head coach in the early 1990s.
What Father and Son Won the Super Bowl with the Same Team?
In a legacy accomplishment very few can claim, Archie Manning won Super Bowl XII with the Baltimore Colts as the starting quarterback in 1978. Decades later, his son Peyton Manning led the same franchise (now the Indianapolis Colts) to victory in Super Bowl XLI after the 2006 season.
Are There Siblings in the NFL?
Many of us are familiar with the popular relatives in the NFL like the Manning’ s or Kelce’s but the list gets a lot more extensive. Here’s a bit more on brothers who have played in the NFL.
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List of Brothers in the NFL
Christian, Max, and Luke McCaffrey
- Christian McCaffrey (born 1996) is a running back for the San Francisco 49ers. He is a two-time Pro Bowl selection (2019, 2020) and was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2019.
- Max McCaffrey (born 1994) is a wide receiver who last played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2020.
- Luke McCaffrey (born 1999) is a quarterback for the Stanford Cardinal.
Jason and Travis Kelce
- Travis Kelce (born 1989) is a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. He is a six-time Pro Bowl selection (2016-2021) and has won two Super Bowls (LIV, LV) with the Chiefs.
- Jason Kelce (born 1987) was a center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a five-time Pro Bowl selection (2017-2021) and won a Super Bowl (LII) with the Eagles. Recently retired in 2024.
Peyton and Eli Manning
- Peyton Manning (born 1976) is a retired quarterback who played for the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.He is a five-time NFL MVP (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2013) and won two Super Bowls (XLI, XVIII) with different teams (Colts and Broncos).
- Eli Manning (born 1981) is a retired quarterback who played for the New York Giants. He won two Super Bowls (XLII, XLVI) with the Giants and was named Super Bowl MVP in both games.
J.J., Derek, and T.J. Watt
- J.J. Watt (born 1989) is a defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals. He is a five-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) and has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times (2012-2016).
- Derek Watt (born 1990) is a fullback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has won two Super Bowls (XLIII, XLVI) with the Steelers.
- T.J. Watt (born 1994) is a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is a three-time Pro Bowl selection (2020-2022) and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.
Aaron and Jordan Rodgers
- Aaron Rodgers (born 1983) is a quarterback for the New York Jets. He is a four-time NFL MVP (2011, 2014,2019, 2020) and won Super Bowl XLV with the Packers.
- Jordan Rodgers (born 1985) is a former quarterback who last played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017, but was cut shortly after.
Dan, Chris, and Rob Gronkowski
- Rob Gronkowski (born 1985) is a retired tight end who played for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is a four-time Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI, LIII, LV) and is widely considered one of the greatest tight ends of all time.
- Dan Gronkowski (born 1989) is a former fullback who played for the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons.
- Chris Gronkowski (born 1986) is a former tight end who played for the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts.
Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin
- Shaquill Griffin (born 1995) is a cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2019.
- Shaquem Griffin (born 1995) is a linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks. He is a bilateral amputee who plays with a prosthetic left hand.
Devin and Jason McCourty
- Devin McCourty (born 1987) is a safety for the New England Patriots. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI) and has been selected to the Pro Bowl six times (2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020).
- Jason McCourty (born 1987) is a former cornerback who played for 13 seasons in the NFL. He played for the Tennessee Titans (2009-2016), Cleveland Browns (2017), New England Patriots (2018-2020), and Miami Dolphins (2021). He won Super Bowl LIII with the Patriots. After retiring in 2022, Jason transitioned to media and currently co-hosts the podcast “Double Coverage with the McCourty Twins” with his brother Devin, and is a host on the NFL Network’s Emmy Award-winning show “Good Morning Football.”
Ryan and Matt Kalil
- Ryan Kalil (born 1984) is a retired center who played for the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers. He was selected to the Pro Bowl five times (2012-2016).
- Matt Kalil (born 1989) is a retired left tackle who played for the Minnesota Vikings. He was selected to the Pro Bowl twice (2012, 2013).
Michael and Martellus Bennett
- Michael Bennett (born 1985) is a defensive end who last played for the New England Patriots in 2019. He has won a Super Bowl (LI) with the Patriots.
- Martellus Bennett (born 1987) is a retired tight end who played for several teams including the Chicago Bears,New England Patriots, and Green Bay Packers. He won a Super Bowl (LI) with the Patriots.
Clay and Casey Matthews
- Clay Matthews (born 1983) is a retired linebacker who played for the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams.He was selected to the Pro Bowl six times (2010-2014, 2016) and won a Super Bowl (XLV) with the Packers.
- Casey Matthews (born 1989) is a linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times (2014, 2015, 2018).
Cam and Caylin and Cecil Newton
- Cam Newton (born 1985) is a quarterback who last played for the Carolina Panthers in 2021. He won the NFL MVP award in 2015 and led the Panthers to Super Bowl 50.
- Caylin Newton (born 1997) is a wide receiver for the Washington Commanders.
- Cecil Newton (born 1988) is a former tight end who last played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016.
Stefon and Trevon Diggs
- Stefon Diggs (born 1993) is a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills. He was selected to the Pro Bowl twice (2019,2020).
- Trevon Diggs (born 1999) is a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021.
Joey and Nick Bosa
- Joey Bosa (born 1994) is a defensive end for the Los Angeles Chargers. He was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2016 and has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times (2016, 2017, 2019, 2020)
- Nick Bosa (born 1997) is a defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers. He was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and has been selected to the Pro Bowl twice (2019, 2021).
What Two Brothers Are Currently Head Coaches in the NFL?
The NFL is currently home to a few sibling coaching duos – brothers Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams) and Jim McVay (Detroit Lions) are both head coaches. Past brother coaching combos include the Shanahans (Mike and Kyle) and the Harbaughs (John and Jim).
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While athletic talent and knowledge of the game can provide a head start, making it to the NFL still requires immense dedication, skill, and sometimes the right connections. As the current generation of superstars eventually retires, we may very well see their own children carrying the family name to new heights in the years ahead.