The matchup between brothers Jonah Elliss and Christian Elliss wasn’t set until Sunday, but the trash talking began two weeks earlier.

After the Broncos clinched the No. 1 seed for the AFC playoffs Jan. 4, Jonah, an outside linebacker, let it be known his team was one step ahead of New England, with Christian at inside linebacker. The Patriots had finished the regular season 14-3, the same record as Denver, but the Broncos won a tiebreaker.

“When the playoffs started, Jonah was kind of giving his brother a hard time, saying, ‘At least I hope you make it to where we have a chance to play’ since they had a bye (in the wild-card round),’’ said Luther Elliss, the father of the two and a former Broncos defensive tackle.

The Broncos, after their bye, defeated Buffalo 33-30 in overtime in a divisional playoff Saturday. The next day, the Patriots, who had beaten the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 in the wild-card round, defeated Houston 28-16 in the divisional round.

So it will be brother against brother in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High between Jonah, 22 and in his second NFL season, and Christian, 27 and in his fifth year. Although the two both play defense, they are expected to be on the field at the same time for special teams and might throw some blocks at one another.

“We’re thankful to have this opportunity for them compete against each other in a game in which one of them is going to go the Super Bowl,’’ Luther told The Denver Gazette by phone from the family home in Salt Lake City. “They will butt heads and we’ll see who’s going to come out on top.”

Christian is fired up for the game. He told reporters at New England’s training facility Monday it will mark the first time the two have played against each other at any level.

“We’re excited,’’ said Christian, who played at Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch before going to college at Idaho. “It’s a blessing for our family. One of us is going to the Super Bowl, one way or another. So we’re very excited. For me, it’s a little bit of smack talking. We have something between him and I. We’ll have a little side bet. The loser will be reminded forever.”

Jonah, expected to talk to the media about the matchup later this week, said last week it would be “super fun” to go against Christian in the AFC Championship Game. It will be his second game facing a brother.

When Jonah was a rookie in November 2024, the Broncos won 38-6 over Atlanta, featuring Kaden Elliss at linebacker. With Kaden, 30, still with the Falcons, there are three Elliss brothers in the NFL. A fourth brother, defensive tackle Noah Elliss, 26, spent time with Philadelphia from 2022-23 but never got into a regular-season game. Luther and his wife Rebecca have 12 children, with seven having been adopted.

“Jonah is 1-0 against his older brothers and we’ll see if he can get to be 2-0,’’ said Luther, who said Jonah has boasted plenty about Denver’s win over Atlanta. “Of course, Christian has other plans.”   

Christian already has been to a Super Bowl. When he was in his second season with Philadelphia in 2022, he got in for 24 snaps on special teams in the Eagles’ 38-25 loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII. Noah that season was on the Eagles’ nonfootball injury list before spending 2023 on their practice squad.

Luther, a native of Mancos, Colo., played in the NFL with the Detroit Lions from 1995-2003, making two Pro Bowls, before finishing his career with the Broncos in 2004. He got into three playoff games with the Lions, all losses.

Luther later was Denver’s team chaplain from 2015-16. In his first season with the Broncos, they won Super Bowl 50.

“God has a good sense of humor in that I didn’t come close to a Super Bowl when I played and then I get a Super Bowl ring (as the Broncos’ chaplain),’’ said Luther, now the defensive tackle coach at Utah. “And then Christian goes to a Super Bowl and and now Christian can go back for the second time or Jonah for the first time.”

Luther is thrilled to be along for the ride, knowing one of his sons is in line to take the field in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8 for Super Bowl LX. He expects about 20 family members to be on hand for Sunday’s game.

Family members are busy this week seeking to round up tickets and figure out how they will dress for the game. Luther said they might come up with some sort of split jersey to represent both Jonah and Christian.

“Our creative kids in the family are working on something,’’ Luther said. “It’s going to be cold, so they’re trying to think of something that you can wear and that you can see (over a coat). I’m not a loud guy, so I don’t want to wear something too boisterous. It has to be subtle and be something to show that we are supporting both of them.”

There were six members of the family at Saturday’s game in Denver, including Luther and Rebecca and Jonah’s wife, Kasey. Luther then took a red-eye flight Saturday night from Denver to Boston for Sunday’s game in Foxboro, Mass., 30 miles down the road. He joined four other family members for the game, including Christian’s wife Kaysie.

Jonah, who starred at Utah, is a top reserve for the Broncos and had 2.5 sacks during the regular season. Christian is a starting linebacker who was second on the Patriots with 94 tackles during the regular season.

“We have never been on the same field at the same time,’’ Christian said. “So (Sunday’s game is) special for me. I’m so excited to (get Jonah’s) jersey (after the game), frame that and have this moment forever.”

Christian called it a “favorite moment” going against Kaden last Nov. 2 in a 24-23 Patriots win. He joked about how he “tried to blow him up” with a block when on the punt-return team and that they were “laughing the entire way down the field.”

Kaden, a seven-year veteran, has had the best NFL career so far of the Elliss brothers. He played for current Broncos coach Sean Payton with New Orleans from 2019-21. He has started all 51 games the past three seasons for the Falcons and led them in 2025 with 107 tackles.

“Jonah and his brother are two really good football players, also his older brother with the Falcons,’’ said Denver defensive lineman Zach Allen. “Whatever his mom and dad are doing, they’re doing something right. But it will be really cool to see (Jonah and Christian) together (Sunday). It’s definitely a special moment for their families.”

Christian didn’t deny that when the two were young he roughed Jonah up some. But he called Jonah “one of my best friends in the world.”

“Christian used to rough Jonah up a little bit but I would call it a little bit of a rite of passage for him,’’ Elliss said.

The 6-foot-2, 231-pound Christian noted that the 6-2, 246-pound Jonah is “bigger than me” now. But he still hopes the two meet up on special teams Sunday.

“I really hope (the Broncos) try to put him on me,’’ Christian said. “That will be fun.”

Meanwhile, members of the Elliss family will be looking on in the stands.

“We will celebrate the family,’’ Luther said. “It’s pretty rare to have siblings playing against each other in the AFC Championship Game. … But no matter what happens on Sunday, somebody is going to be happy and somebody is going to be sad.”