12 sets of recent brothers part of the NFL: The Kelces, Bosas and more

Teammates are like brothers. Actually, some of them really are. Professional sports leagues across the board have welcomed brothers onto teams, and the NFL is no different.

Many brothers have reached high levels of fame in the world of sports and beyond.

Look at the Kelce brothers, for example. The two made history when they competed against each other in the 2023 Super Bowl. The two now have their own podcast, “New Heights.” Travis, in particular, has been put in the spotlight since his relationship with Taylor Swift.

Peyton and Eli Manning are another historic set of NFL brothers, who were both quarterbacks during their time in the league.

The family members listed below are 12 sets of NFL brothers who have recently played in the league at the same time, but there are plenty more who have been part of the league in its history.

1. Travis and Jason Kelce
2. Devin and Jason McCourty
3. J.J., Derek and T.J. Watt
4. Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin
5. Nick and Joey Bosa
6. Mike and Maurkice Pouncey
7. Jaylen and Sammy Watkins
8. Trevon and Stefon Diggs
9. Dalvin and James Cook
10. Romeo and Julian Okwara
11. Tremaine, Trey and Terrell Edmunds
12. Equanimeous and Amon-Ra St. Brown

1. Travis and Jason Kelce

Whether you’re a football fan or a Swiftie, you’ve heard the names Travis and Jason Kelce.

In 2023, these two brothers made history as the first to play against each other in a Super Bowl match-up.

Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs got the victory over Jason and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Before they were rivals, they were teammates on the University of Cincinnati football team.

Travis joined the NFL in 2013 and has been with the Chiefs throughout his entire professional career. Jason has also stuck with the same team throughout his career, playing with the Eagles beginning in 2011. Jason announced his retirement from the NFL in March 2024.

2. Devin and Jason McCourty

Devin and Jason McCourty are one set of many NFL twins.

Devin played for the New England Patriots all the way up until his retirement in 2023.

His brother, Jason, was drafted by the Tennessee Titans and stuck with the team for eight seasons. He then played for the Cleveland Browns for a season.

Devin and Jason played together on the Patriots for three seasons, before Jason left for the Miami Dolphins prior to his retirement in 2022.

The brothers worked together to win Super Bowl LIII with the Patriots.

3. J.J., Derek and T.J. Watt

Football sure does run in the Watt family, with three brothers who were part of the league.

T.J., the youngest of the brothers, is still in the NFL on the Pittsburgh Steelers. J.J. and Derek have both retired from the league.

In 2020, history was made when all three brothers played in the same game. Derek and T.J. were both on the Steelers, while J.J. was on the Houston Texans.

4. Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin

Another set of NFL twins are Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin.

They didn’t just play in the league together, but also on the same team.

Shaquem made history as the first one-handed player to join the league.

He was drafted into the NFL by the Seattle Seahawks in 2018, joining his brother Shaquill, who was already part of the team.

Shaquem then went to the Miami Dolphins and retired from the league in 2022.

Shaquill currently plays for the Minnesota Vikings.

5. Nick and Joey Bosa

The Bosa brothers are a favorite pair of NFL brothers.

Joey joined the NFL in 2016 when he was selected by the San Diego Chargers.

Nick followed in 2019 when he was the second overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers.

The Bosa brothers followed in their father’s footsteps when they joined the professional league, as he played for the Miami Dolphins in the late ’80s.

6. Mike and Maurkice Pouncey

Mike and Maurkice Pouncey departed from the league together.

These twins both left the league in 2021. Maurkice and Mike played in the NFL for almost the same amount of time.

Maurkice was the first to join when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. He stayed with the team for his entire career.

A year later came Mike, who joined the Miami Dolphins. His last three seasons were spent with the Los Angeles Chargers.

7. Jaylen and Sammy Watkins

Jaylen played with his brother Sammy in the NFL for a brief time.

In 2013, Jaylen was added to the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad, where his brother was playing

Sammy moved from the Bills to the Los Angeles Rams, and then to the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers.

After Jaylen briefly joined the Bills, he went back to the Eagles, who drafted him in 2014. The last team he was part of was the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020.

8. Trevon and Stefon Diggs

In 2015, Stefon Diggs joined the NFL when he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. He later went to the Buffalo Bills in 2020, the same year his brother, Trevon, was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys.

Stefton currently plays for the Houston Texans, and Trevon plays for the Cowboys.

“I think it’s cool as hell,” Stefon told the Wall Street Journal in 2023 about being in the NFL with his brother. “It’s a small group of guys with siblings. It’s probably not as cool for me as it is for my mom. She’s got a special womb or something, she’s pushing out the athletes.”

9. Dalvin and James Cook

Dalvin Cook was the first of these brothers to join the NFL. In 2017, he started playing for the Minnesota Vikings.

James was the newer addition to the league, joining the Buffalo Bills in 2022.

The brothers faced off against one another in November 2022. They later did so two more times in 2023, with Dalvin on the New York Jets and James on the Bills.

“Having him as an older brother is a plus for me. Being in the NFL, he tells me all the tricks and trades to the game,” James told “Good Morning Football” about Dalvin. “Him being a vet, just looking up to him as an older brother — it’s special.”

10. Romeo and Julian Okwara

Romeo and Julian spent a lot of time together as teammates on the Detroit Lions.

In 2016, Romeo was signed to the New York Giants and joined the Lions a couple of years later.

His brother, Julian, was selected in the 2020 NFL draft by the Lions, making the two teammates.

11. Tremaine, Trey and Terrell Edmunds

This trio comes from an athletic family.

Terrell was the first to be part of the NFL after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018. Most recently, he was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent on May 16, 2024.

Trey was on the New Orleans Saints before being part of the Steelers with his brother Terell.

Then, there’s Tremaine, who joined the Buffalo Bills in 2018 and currently plays on the Chicago Bears.

12. Equanimeous and Amon-Ra St. Brown

Equanimeous St. Brown got his NFL start in 2018 when he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers.

That was his team for three years before he moved to the Chicago Bears.

As for Amon-Ra, he joined the league just a few years after his brother, being drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2021.