Comparing NFL's sibling rivalry across major sports

Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce will take the field on opposing sides of Super Bowl LVII, setting a new standard for NFL brotherly competition - but where does it rank among sibling rivalries across the major sports?

Travis, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, is an eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time AP First Team All-Pro. Jason, centre for the Philadelphia Eagles, has gone to six Pro Bowls and been named to five AP All-Pro First Teams. 

There have been many sets of brothers on opposite sides of the field in NFL history, including high-profile names like quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, as well as running back Tiki and defensive back Ronde Barber. 

In 2013, Super Bowl XLVII was headlined by Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh taking on his brother Jim, who held the same role with the San Francisco 49ers.

Super Bowl LVII, however, is the first time two members of the same family have met as players on opposing teams in the NFL’s biggest game. 

The NHL is no stranger to sibling battles at the highest stage - Rob and Scott Niedermayer were the most recent pair, when Scott's New Jersey Devils topped Rob's Anaheim Mighty Ducks in seven games during the 2003 Stanley Cup Final. 

In the regular season, members of the Staal family have met regularly, with Marc and Eric notably combining for a scary scene as opponents in 2011. Eric, playing with the Carolina Hurricanes, laid a devastating hit on his young brother Marc, who was with the New York Rangers, that later resulted in him missing significant time.

"I wouldn't say it has kept me awake at night, but it's tough," Eric Staal told NHL.com nearly nine months later. "If I could take it back I probably wouldn't hit him knowing where we've gone and what has gone on since then. But it was one of those plays, bang-bang, happens so quickly, and I hit him hard."

Today, Marc and Eric are teammates with the Florida Panthers, facing off regularly with their brother Jordan and the Carolina Hurricanes.

On the diamond, a matchup between Phil Maton of the Houston Astros and Nick Maton of the Philadelphia Phillies on the final day of the 2022 regular season marked the latest brotherly matchup in the MLB – Nick was not on the Phillies' roster for their World Series matchup when the two teams met again. 

The last time a pair of brothers competed in the World Series was when the St. Louis Cardinals played the New York Yankees in the 1964 World Series. Ken Boyer played third base for St. Louis, and Clete Boyer pitched for the Yankees. Ken hit two home runs to help lead the Cardinals to the World Series pennant in seven games. 

Every brotherly battle features players of varying levels of career success and importance to their teams. Sunday’s matchup between the Kelces is likely forming the most decorated combination of siblings to compete at the highest level. 

It’s impossible to discuss sibling rivalries in sport, though, without taking a look at the most famous familial rivals in Venus and Serena Williams. 

Serena, the winner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles, battled her sister Venus 31 times, with a record of 19-12 against her older sister. She went 9-3 in tournament finals against Venus, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, in career finals, including a 7-2 record in major finals.