Tag: family

Peyton and Eli Manning release funny statements about 2025 Pro Bowl

Peyton and Eli Manning announced a return to the Pro Bowl with their signature sense of humor.

The Pro Bowl Games are returning this season and the NFL’s favorite brothers will once again serve as the head coaches.

Peyton Manning (AFC) and Eli Manning (NFC) will face off in the 2025 Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 2.

After the league announced the Mannings as returning coaches, the brothers released a pair of funny statements ahead of the Pro Bowl.

“The Pro Bowl Games are all about having fun,” Peyton said. “It’s always unpredictable, and we got to bring fans into the action and see the NFL’s biggest names compete. And the best part about this year’s games is knowing that my AFC team is going to end Eli’s two-year run of luck with the NFC.”

The NFL’s statement included a fitting retort from Eli.

“I love everything about the Pro Bowl Games,” Eli said. “And getting to hear Peyton complain about losing every year makes it even better.”

Fan voting for the 2025 Pro Bowl will open on Nov. 25. The list of Denver Broncos players worthy of consideration this season includes guard Quinn Meinerz, left tackle Garett Bolles, defensive end Zach Allen, pass rushers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, and cornerbacks Pat Surtain, Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian.

Since switching to a flag football format, Eli’s NFC is 2-0 against Peyton’s AFC in the revamped Pro Bowl Games.

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Jonah Elliss celebrated his brother making a play for the other team

Jonah Elliss celebrated Kaden Elliss making a tackle vs. the Broncos on Sunday, then he wrote his brother a funny message after the game.

You don’t see this often.

After tackling Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims on punt coverage duty, Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Davis received some love from a player on the opposite team on Sunday afternoon.

Jonah Elliss, Kaden’s brother who plays for the Broncos, jumped up on Kaden and gave him a celebratory smack on the helmet after the tackle. KCNC-TV cameras captured the moment showing both brothers with big smiles:

“Lots of giggles, man,” Kaden said after the game when asked about playing against his brother. “Lots of laughs. It was a dream come true to see him on the field and get to go out and block him a little bit or at least try to.”

Kaden ended the day with nine tackles, tied for second-most in the game. Jonah joined in the fun with a sack in the third quarter:

After the game, the brothers exchanged signed jerseys:

Kaden wrote a wholesome note you’d expect from a role model big brother: “Jonah, Goof! I couldn’t be more proud. I love you! All 4 the King! Kaden Elliss #55 John 3:16.”

Jonah’s message reflected a taunting younger brother: “Jonah Ellis #52, 1-0.”

Football is family.

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Broncos and Falcons have brothers who will face off on Sunday

Brothers Kaden Elliss (Falcons) and Jonah Elliss (Broncos) are set to face off for the first time in the NFL on Sunday.

Five years ago, Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints used a seventh-round pick to select Idaho linebacker Kaden Elliss in the 2019 NFL draft.

Payton stepped down from his role with the Saints in 2022 and Elliss became a free agent following that season. Payton later joined the Denver Broncos and Ellis signed with the Atlanta Falcons.

This spring, Payton used a third-round pick to select Kaden’s younger brother, Utah pass rusher Jonah Elliss, in the 2024 NFL draft.

It’s quite a football family.

Luther Elliss started the family’s NFL journey by playing as a defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions (1995-2003) and Broncos (2004). Luther and his wife, Rebecca, now have three sons playing in the NFL: Kaden (Atlanta), Jonah (Denver) and Christian (New England Patriots). A fourth son, Noah, spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2022-2024.

“I know it’s a large family,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Wednesday. “Obviously, the father — I’ve done this long enough, I can recall coaching against their father. We drafted Kaden in New Orleans. [This year], we’re one team away from being on the clock and we’re going to take his brother, but man we’re hoping — I think Atlanta in fact was the pick ahead of us. I turned to George [Paton] and I said, [Terry] Fontenot — Terry is the general manager and was working with us then — ’Terry’s going to draft the brother, I know it.’ They drafted another player and then we were excited obviously to make our selection.

“Then I got a text right away from Kaden. I won’t tell you what it said, but I would say the exposure with Kaden really helped us understand the football mindset as it pertained to the next pick. Now when we drafted Kaden, he was playing a little bit more of an edge. He’s now playing inside, but he’s still a pressure player. If you said, ‘Which of the linebackers pressures the most or blitzes the most?’ He’s the one. That doesn’t mean the others don’t, but he’s a very good pash rusher. He’s really transitioned to a really good inside linebacker. [I’m] proud for him.”

This week, Jonah and Kaden will play against each other for the first time in the NFL. They both play on defense, but the brothers could face off on special teams. You can count on a post-game family photo after the final whistle blows on Sunday afternoon.

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Even Pat Surtain’s dad (a former Chief) thinks the refs favor KC

Even Pat Surtain’s dad (a former Chief) was not happy with questionable officiating during Sunday’s game in Kansas City.

NFL fans have been suspicious in recent seasons that officials favor quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs with their calls. Sunday’s 16-14 win over the Denver Broncos certainly added fuel to the fire.

The Chiefs benefited from several questionable calls against the Broncos in Week 10, including a safety Brandon Jones being penalized for illegal contact, which negated a Nik Bonitto sack on third down.

After Kansas City was gifted a first down, they went on to score a touchdown, so that penalty was arguably a four-point swing. Fans and pundits quickly lashed out against the call on Twitter/X.

Among those who objected to the call was the father of Denver cornerback Pat Surtain II — Patrick Surtain Sr. tweeted: “These refs…smh.”

The elder Surtain played cornerback in the NFL from 1998-2008, spending his final four years in the NFL with the Chiefs. He obviously has more loyalty to his son than to his former team.

The Broncos had plenty of chances to win Sunday’s game, and they acknowledged that after the loss. Fans will cope with conspiracy theories, but Denver can’t blame the officials. The Broncos need to play better going forward, even if it feels like the officiating is one-sided.

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Sean Payton’s brother wants Broncos to be active at trade deadline

“He’s the worst at the trade deadline,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of his brother. “He just wants to see action.”

With the NFL trade deadline now just over 24 hours away, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton has downplayed the impact it has had on his schedule.

“The next 24 hours for me will be just like last Monday, or the following Monday or the Monday prior,” Payton said during his Monday conference call with reporters. “It’s going to be putting to bed the game we just played and then the preparation begins on Kansas City.

“In the meantime, George [Paton] and his staff — there’s always these last-minute calls either way. [He will] keep me abreast. He’ll walk in here if he thinks it’s something significant, but honestly the focus is on the guys in this building right here. Superman’s not walking in.”

Paton will work the phones while Payton remains focused on preparing for the Chiefs on Sunday. Fans would love to see the Broncos make splashes ahead of the trade deadline, with even Payton’s brother, Tom, urging the team to make moves.

“My brother’s the worst at this,” Payton said. “He’s the worst at free agency, and he’s the worst at the trade deadline. He just wants to see action. Then right after the action takes place, he never goes back and reflects and says, ‘Well that was a bad signing,’ or, ‘That was a bad trade.’ I say that — I kid him — but I think that there’s so much more that goes into it relative to whether you’re trading a player [or] acquiring a player.

“Contracts go into it, vision goes into it and locker room goes into it. There are a lot of details that go into that. To answer your question fairly, I’m sitting here with the numbers right now with Kansas City, the depth chart, injury report and scouting report. [I] kind of finished up on Baltimore. Our players are in meetings on Baltimore. That’s where we’re at.”

With a young team, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Broncos stand pat at the deadline. Denver is not one piece away from contending, and as Payton said, Superman’s not walking through the door. It might make sense for the Broncos to keep their draft picks and continue developing the current roster while looking forward to adding more talent in 2025.

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Brother of Broncos’ Nate Adkins had a prophetic dream about FB/TE

“[My brother] said he had a dream that I was going to catch a touchdown today,” Broncos TE/FB Nate Adkins said after his first NFL score.

Denver Broncos fullback/tight end Nate Adkins usually has an unsung role as a blocker on offense and special teams utility player.

Adkins made a big play on Sunday, though, catching the first touchdown of his career in a 28-14 win over the Carolina Panthers. The score did not surprise Adkins’ brother, Nick.

“It was awesome,” Adkins said of his first score in the pros. “It’s actually a funny story: I was talking to my brother last night, and he said he had a dream that I was going to catch a touchdown today. So it’s pretty cool.”

Adkins finished the day with one catch for a three-yard touchdown.

Fittingly, Broncos tight ends had a big day on National Tight Ends Day. Adam Trautman led the way with four receptions for 85 yards and a score.

“I think we all had a pretty good day today,” Adkins said of the tight end room. “I think whenever the ball was in the air, everybody was just trying to go out there and make a play and it ended up being a good day for us.”

Adkins, 25, now has nine career receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown. He often flies under the radar, but Adkins was rewarded for his tireless role with a touchdown in Week 8.

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Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s family has New Orleans roots

Marquez Valdes-Scantling may be new to the Saints, but he isn’t new to New Orleans. His family has Louisiana roots:

Marquez Valdes-Scantling may be new to the New Orleans Saints, but he’s far from unfamiliar with the area. He has family roots within the city. His dad’s side of the family is from New Orleans.

Valdes-Scantling said he visited New Orleans quite a few times during his childhood and is “very familiar with the area, the food and the atmosphere.”

He’s a Florida native and he’s happy to return a familiar climate. Valdes-Scantling spent his playing days in Buffalo, Wisconsin and Kansas City. He called the change in weather “good for him.”

His journey on the field to New Orleans feels like it took forever. The team has pursued Valdes-Scantling in 2022. Ultimately, he chose to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s a hard decision to argue with and resulted in two Super Bowl rings.

The receiver revealed how close he was to joining the Saints at that time: “I was super close. I was actually on my visit to the Chiefs. I was on my way out the door to come down here, to get on the plane. The Chiefs wouldn’t let me leave and that’s the history of it.”

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Panthers quarterback involved in car crash ahead of Broncos game

The Panthers said quarterback Andy Dalton is “being evaluated by team medical personnel” after he was involved in a car crash on Tuesday.

Story update: After Andy Dalton sprained his thumb in a car accident on Tuesday, the Panthers announced Wednesday that Bryce Young will start against the Broncos. See our original post below.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton and his family were involved in a car crash on Tuesday, the team confirmed.

“Andy Dalton and his family were involved in a car accident today in Charlotte,” the Panthers said in a statement. “Neither Dalton nor his family were transported by emergency medical personnel. Dalton is being evaluated by team medical personnel.”

Dalton, 36, was driving with his wife, three children and the family dog when the accident occurred. It sounds like none of them suffered serious injuries.

Dalton and the Panthers are set to travel to Colorado to face the Denver Broncos in Week 8 of the 2024 NFL season on Sunday. Carolina coach Dave Canales reiterated on Monday that Dalton, not Bryce Young, will start against the Broncos. That was before Tuesday’s accident.

The Panthers are set to have their first practice of the week on Wednesday and Dalton’s status will be a key storyline leading up to Sunday.

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Tyler Badie’s mom posts message on social media after RB’s injury

“Thank you so very much for your prayers for our son Tyler Badie,” the running back’s mother wrote on her Twitter/X page.

Denver Broncos running back Tyler Badie suffered a scary back injury against the New York Jets on Sunday and was carted to the locker room.

The running back’s mother, Tanjala T. Gipson, posted a message on her Twitter/X page on Sunday night after the game.

“This photo was taken just before today’s game,” Gipson wrote on her social media page. “God was good then, and God is good now. We may not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future. Thank you so very much for your prayers for our son Tyler Badie.”

The accompanying photo showed a t-shirt with a Bible verse that reads, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Badie had movement in all of his extremities after the game and reports have indicated that the running back is expected to be okay.

Badie flew back to Denver on Sunday night.

Badie, 24, was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster last week following his 70-yard performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has rushed for 86 yards through three games this season.

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Eli Manning had a funny reaction to Arch Manning’s first college start

Eli Manning wanted to drop in to remind everyone that he had a better college debut than Archie, Peyton and Arch.

Arch Manning made the first start of his college football career on Saturday, helping the Texas Longhorns defeat the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 51-3.

After the game, many fans and pundits were quick to compare the stats of Arch to his uncle’s first NCCA starts — and his grandfather’s, too.

Archie Manning (the patriarch of the family) threw for 116 yards and had two touchdowns against one interception in his first start at Ole Miss in 1968.

Peyton Manning was limited to 79 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions in his Tennessee debut in 1994. Arch Manning had 258 yards with two scores and two interceptions on Saturday.

Eli Manning topped them all with 271 passing yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in his first start at Ole Miss in 2001.

Eli took to Twitter/X on Monday to let his dad, brother and nephew know that he bested them: “I win!”

Arch’s father, Cooper Manning, was a star wide receiver in high school, but his football career was cut short by spinal stenosis before college. Cooper is the older brother of Peyton and Eli.

Peyton and Eli both won two Super Bowls in the NFL — Peyton won one title with the Indianapolis Colts and another with the Denver Broncos. Eli won two titles with the New York Giants.

Eli’s son, Charley (6), made his flag football debut on Saturday. Peyton’s son, Marshall (13), is a youth football player. They’ll look to follow in the footsteps of their dads and their cousin, Arch, in the coming years.

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