Idaho Professional Athletes

Idaho's First Family of Linebackers

No school in the country can claim what Idaho can this fall: two brothers, both active NFL linebackers, both suiting up on Sundays. Kaden Elliss (Saints) and Christian Elliss (Patriots) are the rare proof that Moscow, Idaho can produce NFL-caliber defenders — and this past week, the elder brother's absence made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Kaden's Calf Keeps Him Off the Field

Kaden Elliss was officially ruled out for the Saints' Week 4 showdown against the Atlanta Falcons on October 3, a calf injury stealing what would have been a marquee reunion game. Before joining New Orleans, Kaden played for Atlanta — making the Saints-Falcons matchup the kind of full-circle moment that storylines are made of. Instead, he watched from the sideline as the Falcons tore the Saints defense apart on Monday night.

The injury's timeline remains murky. According to Pro Football Talk, New Orleans was unsure heading into Week 5 whether Kaden would be available at all, leaving the Saints short-handed at a position where they can least afford it. A starting linebacker already, Kaden's absence is a real football problem, not just a depth chart footnote — and it underscores how much the Saints are leaning on him in their defensive scheme.

Per Heavy Sports, the calf issue robbed fans of what could have been one of the more emotionally loaded individual subplots of the early NFL season: a player returning to face his former team, in a stadium celebrating a historic "Domecoming" anniversary, wearing the opposing jersey. Instead, that story gets shelved until Kaden is cleared.

Christian Holds Down the Fort in New England

While his older brother nursed his injury, Christian Elliss was on the field Sunday, October 4, as the Patriots hosted the Buffalo Bills in a tight 29-26 game. Christian has carved out a legitimate role in New England's linebacking corps, and his presence in a competitive AFC East contest is its own quiet testament to what Idaho's program has built.

The Bills-Patriots game had genuine stakes — these are divisional rivals — and Christian's participation in it, however his individual snap count shook out, keeps the Elliss name visible on the NFL's bigger stages.

The Bigger Picture for Vandal Nation

Beyond the Elliss brothers, Idaho has a quietly impressive NFL footprint. Jesse Davis is on the Saints' offensive line, meaning three former Vandals suit up for New Orleans alone. Elsewhere, Hayden Hatten is with the Seahawks, Jake Luton is on Carolina's roster at quarterback, and Paul Moala is with the Bears. Noah Elliss — yes, another Elliss — is with the Eagles, making this arguably the most NFL-connected family in the history of a mid-major program.

The week of October 4–10 distilled the Idaho NFL story into its sharpest form: one brother sidelined, one brother competing, and a fan base left to wonder what a fully healthy Kaden Elliss looks like when he finally faces those Falcons again.

This content is AI-generated by FanDaily.

The storyline wrote itself — and then the injury report erased it.

Kaden Elliss, the Idaho linebacker who signed with the New Orleans Saints this offseason after years with the Atlanta Falcons, has been ruled out for Monday night's Saints-Falcons matchup. What would have been a marquee homecoming moment — Elliss lining up against his former teammates on national television — won't materialize. The Saints confirmed his absence on the final Saturday injury report ahead of the Week 4 game.

It's a brutal beat for Elliss and for Vandal fans who had circled the calendar the moment the free-agent signing was announced. A linebacker reunion matchup against a former employer carries its own drama under any circumstances; on Monday night, with the cameras rolling, it would have carried even more.

Elliss wasn't the only Idaho product to have a tough week. His brother Christian Elliss, a linebacker with the New England Patriots, was on the field Sunday — but the Patriots absorbed a lopsided 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, leaving little to celebrate for the Elliss family or the Vandal fanbase. The two brothers were on opposite sidelines in Week 4, both absorbing tough situations in very different ways.

The Elliss name has become something of an Idaho football dynasty in the NFL. Kaden and Christian are joined in the league by a third brother, Noah Elliss, a defensive lineman with the Philadelphia Eagles — making the Elliss family one of the more remarkable multi-sibling stories in the current NFL landscape. None of the three had a week worth framing.

Elsewhere in the Idaho alumni ranks, the Saints also count guard Jesse Davis and wide receiver Jermaine Jackson on their roster, meaning New Orleans has quietly become a Vandal hub. Whether that connection helps or hurts is an open question after a 35-27 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday that dropped them further into an early-season hole.

The bigger picture for Idaho fans: the NFL footprint is real and growing. From the Eagles to the Patriots to the Saints to the Panthers — where quarterback Jake Luton holds a roster spot — Vandals are scattered across the league. But Week 4 offered little reward. The most anticipated individual moment of the week was wiped out by an injury designation, and the losses piled up for teams with Idaho connections.

Kaden Elliss's status going forward bears watching. When healthy, the reunion game against Atlanta will eventually come — just not under the lights on Monday night the way it was supposed to.