November 15th 2024.
Jonah Ellis was excited for the big game on Sunday, where his team, the Denver Broncos, would be facing off against the Atlanta Falcons. He was expecting a large turnout of 30 friends and family members, but there was one thing that remained a mystery - which jerseys his family would be wearing.
This particular game was significant for the Ellis family, as Jonah would be going against his older brother Kaden, who played for the Falcons as an inside linebacker. The two brothers were carrying on their family's NFL legacy, which had been started by their father, Luther Ellis, who was a former defensive tackle for the Broncos.
Jonah, who was drafted in the third round from the University of Utah, couldn't contain his excitement for the game. He shared, "Doing it at this level is really awesome. I'm really excited to go out there and have fun."
The Ellis family had a strong presence in the NFL, with three other brothers also playing in the league. Kaden, who was eight years older than Jonah, was the first to be drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2019. Christian, who was 25 years old, was an undrafted free agent for the Minnesota Vikings and was currently part of the New England Patriots. Unfortunately, their youngest brother, Noah, was waived by the Philadelphia Eagles in the spring of 2021.
Despite only being in his first season as a professional player, Jonah was already living up to his family's legacy. He had shown great potential in becoming a key player in Denver's defensive lineup, with two sacks and 14 pressures in just ten games. On the other hand, Kaden, now in his second season with the Falcons, had 88 total tackles and was tied for 11th in the league. He had also been performing exceptionally well in the past four games with 44 tackles.
Even though they played different positions, Jonah believed that they shared some similarities in their game. He explained, "We have the same savviness, and you can see that when you watch his film. I tried to replicate that a lot during college."
The Ellis family was known for their competitive nature and would often have their own version of the Olympics during the summer. They would compete in various activities such as pickleball, cornhole, and video games. Jonah claimed to be the best at pickleball, but he knew not to tell Kaden that. He chuckled, "He doesn't like it."
Jonah hoped that he wouldn't be the last of his family to make it to the NFL. His younger brother, Elijah, who was a freshman defensive end at the University of Utah, also had the same drive and passion for the sport. Jonah shared, "He's got the same blood in him that all of us do. We hope we can get him up here too."
In other news, wide receiver Josh Reynolds would not be able to make a comeback in this game, even though he had been a full participant in practice. He was still recovering from minor finger surgery and was also involved in a shooting incident in late October.
Two other players, safety Delarrin Turner-Yell and linebacker Drew Sanders, who were on the reserved/PUP list, were also ruled out for the game. Meanwhile, the status of starting safety Brandon Jones was uncertain due to an abdominal injury he sustained in the previous week's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Head coach Sean Payton shared, "We were patient today. Hopefully, he'll be ready."
With so much on the line for the Broncos, this game against the Falcons marked the beginning of an important stretch for coach Payton and his team. Fans can sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all the latest news and analysis about the team.
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