Most NFL players grew up finding their football role models on television. They saw athletes playing at the highest level of the sport and one day aspired to reach that level themselves. However, some didn’t have to find their role models on TV; they could simply look to the dinner table.

There are a few dozen players this season whose fathers were once in their shoes. In some cases, such as Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, there’s a long way to go to measure up to the father. In others, such as Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, the son is elevating the family’s NFL legacy.

With so much second-generation talent in the NFL, we were able to construct a Pro Bowl roster worth of talent. That means we narrowed the depth chart down to 44 players (22 on offense, 22 on defense), so not every NFL son made the cut. Also worth keeping in mind is that for this exercise, with all due respect to grandfathers and uncles, the father had to have played in the NFL for the son to be in consideration — although some of our players saw both their dads and grandpas in the league.

Without further ado, let’s examine the present-day All-Second-Generation team in the NFL.

QuarterbacksStarter: Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)Backup: Shedeur Sanders (Cleveland Browns)

Football’s most famous quarterback family has to wait a year (or more, thanks, Grandpa) for third-generation talent Arch Manning to finish his career at Texas. But there’s still plenty to discuss on the current quarterback depth chart.

Deion Sanders, the father of rookie Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, needs little introduction. A first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer, Deion won two Super Bowls and was a six-time All-Pro during a playing career that spanned from 1989 to 2005. Now head coach at Colorado, Deion’s unapologetic demeanor puts everything he says under a microscope — including claims that Shedeur would be a top pick in the 2025 draft. Shedeur slid to the fifth round and begins his rookie season third on the Browns’ depth chart behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel.

Our starter here is clear, though his football ties might be overlooked. Reigning Comeback Player of the Year Joe Burrow might not come from a quarterback family, but he does have football ties. Joe’s dad, Jim, was an eighth-round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers in 1976. Jim played three NFL games as a defensive back before finishing his playing career in the CFL.

Running backsStarter: Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers)Backup: Frank Gore Jr. (Buffalo Bills)

Given the physicality of the sport, it’s hard to imagine a LeBron James situation in the NFL, where father and son are playing in the league at the same time. Perhaps a kicker or quarterback could pull it off with the longevity that comes with those positions but running back feels impossible. Yet the Gores almost did it. Frank Gore Sr., who ranks third all-time in NFL history with 16,000 rushing yards, hung up the cleats after the 2020 season. His son, Frank Gore Jr., entered the league in 2024. He was released by the Buffalo Bills this week but landed on their practice squad, so we’ll let him slide to make the team and give us some depth.

While the Gores present an intriguing situation, there’s no question who reigns at the top of the depth chart. Ed McCaffrey’s son, Christian, is one of the more talented players in the league. Ed also has two other sons who have NFL experience in Luke, Washington Commanders wide receiver, and Max, who played in six combined games for the 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars and had one career catch. Even with Christian’s individual brilliance, the three-time Pro Bowler and 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year has plenty of work to do to catch up to his dad in the jewelry department, as Ed is a three-time champion — once with the 49ers and twice with the Denver Broncos.

Wide receiverStarters: Cooper Kupp (Seattle Seahawks), DK Metcalf (Pittsburgh Steelers), Marvin Harrison Jr. (Arizona Cardinals)Backups: Christian Watson (Green Bay Packers), Michael Pittman Jr. (Indianapolis Colts), Zay Jones (Arizona Cardinals)

Marvin Harrison Jr.’s father was a Hall of Fame receiver and his son entered the league in 2024 as a No. 4 pick with high expectations. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

Wide receiver is arguably the most loaded position when it comes to the bloodline discussion. The elder Marvin Harrison was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016 after an illustrious 13-year career with the Indianapolis Colts. Less than a decade later, his son was the No. 4 pick after a standout career at Ohio State.

Cooper Kupp and DK Metcalf have different backstories, given their fathers weren’t pass catchers. Kupp’s father, Craig, was a quarterback (and grandfather, Jake, was a guard). Metcalf’s father, Terrence, had a strong seven-year run as a guard with the Chicago Bears from 2002 through 2008. Their sons have each made the Pro Bowl as a receiver, with Kupp also winning the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year award.

We could certainly split out five wide receivers, though, if needed. Christian Watson and Michael Pittman Jr. are among the others who could give a quarterback some good options in the pass game. Watson’s father, Tim, was a sixth-round pick in 1993 who played in 13 games over four seasons for three different teams. Michael Pittman Sr. had a solid 11-year career as a running back after being a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 1998.

Zay Jones, whose father, Robert, was a first-round pick and a three-time Super Bowl champion linebacker with the Dallas Cowboys in the ’90s, provides a solid insurance policy at the end of the depth chart.

Tight endsStarter: Mason Taylor (New York Jets)Backups: Connor Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers), Oronde Gadsden II (Los Angeles Chargers)

A pair of rookie tight ends with NFL ties were drafted this year. Mason Taylor, the Jets’ second-round pick, was the most productive tight end in LSU history. His dad (former defensive end Jason Taylor) and uncle (former linebacker Zach Thomas) are both Pro Football Hall of Famers.

The Chargers selected Oronde Gadsden II in the fifth round out of Syracuse. His dad, Oronde Gadsden, played wide receiver on the 1995 Cowboys Super Bowl team, though he was injured in the NFC Championship Game that year.

Veteran Connor Heyward adds some versatility with the ability to also play fullback. Heyward’s late dad, Craig, was a first-round pick in 1988 and played 11 NFL seasons. Connor is also teammates with his older brother, Cameron, on the Steelers (more on him later).

Offensive lineStarters: LT Jake Matthews (Atlanta Falcons), LG Jon Runyan Jr. (New York Giants), C Drew Kendall (Philadelphia Eagles), RG Ted Karras (Cincinnati Bengals), RT Joe Alt (Los Angeles Chargers)Backups: Andrus Peat (Pittsburgh Steelers), Orlando Brown Jr. (Cincinnati Bengals), Charlie Heck (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Ozzy Trapilo (Chicago Bears)

Jake Matthews’ NFL family tree might be the largest on this list. A top-six pick in 2014, Matthews is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews and grandson of Clay Mathews Sr., who played for the 49ers in the 1950s. Matthews’ two brothers, Kevin and Mike; cousins, Clay Matthews III and Casey Matthews; and uncle Clay Matthews Jr., also played in the NFL.

Joe Alt will start at right tackle, even though he’s playing this season at left tackle following Rashawn Slater’s season-ending knee injury. Alt’s father, John, is in the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame and was a two-time Pro Bowler over 13 NFL seasons.

We are light on interior offensive linemen, so Ted Karras slides over to right guard, where he started in college at Illinois. He’ll have plenty of people to learn from as Karras’ NFL bloodlines run deep. His father, Ted Karras Jr., was a defensive tackle who played one NFL game for Washington in 1987, and his grandfather, Ted Karras Sr., played five of his nine NFL seasons with Chicago, winning the world championship with the Bears in 1963. Ted was also the seventh member of his family to play football in the Big Ten.

Jon Runyan Jr.’s dad, Jon, played 14 NFL seasons, making a Pro Bowl and earning a spot in the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame as an offensive tackle. The younger Runyan will handle the left guard spot.

Drew Kendall, who was drafted out of Boston College this year alongside fellow rookie left tackle Ozzy Trapilo, will take over at center. Drew and Ozzy’s fathers both played at Boston University and in the NFL. Pete Kendall was a first-round pick in 1996 and Steve Trapilo played five seasons for the New Orleans Saints. He died of a heart attack before Ozzy turned 3.

Andrus Peat, selected with the No. 13 pick in 2015, is the son of Todd Peat, who played six NFL seasons in the late 1980s and early ’90s. Orlando Brown Jr. began his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens, the same organization where his father ended his and became affectionately known as “Zeus.” Journeyman Charlie Heck and his dad are technically both in the league at the same time, just not as players. Charlie is entering his first season with the Bucs while his dad, Andy, is entering his 12th season as the Chiefs’ O-line coach.

Defensive lineStarters: DE Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers), DE Cameron Jordan (New Orleans Saints), DT Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers), DT Grady Jarrett (Chicago Bears)Backups: DE Joey Bosa (Buffalo Bills), DT Mario Edwards Jr. (Houston Texans), DT Kris Jenkins Jr. (Cincinnati Bengals)

Nick, left, and Joey Bosa have 10 combined Pro Bowl appearances to their names. (Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)

Here’s a piece of NFL trivia: Who are the three NFL families to have three first-round selections? The Mannings and Matthews families are the easy answers as the banner of NFL bloodline royalty, but the Bosa family is the third to accomplish this feat. John Bosa was a first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins at No. 16 in 1987. His sons, Joey and Nick, were first-round selections a few decades later, with Joey going No. 3 in 2016 to the San Diego Chargers and little brother Nick going No. 2 in 2019 to the San Francisco 49ers. The brothers have each made five career Pro Bowls, with Nick owning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2019) and Defensive Player of the Year (2022) awards.

Cameron Jordan had a big seat to fill at the Thanksgiving table. His father, Steve, played 13 years in the NFL, all with the Minnesota Vikings, and was a six-time Pro Bowler and a member of the Vikings’ Ring of Honor. Cameron has surpassed his father’s accolades, going to eight Pro Bowls and entering his 15th season in the NFL, all with the New Orleans Saints.

Speaking of the Saints, they drafted the late Craig Heyward in the first round back in 1988. His son, Cameron, was drafted in the first round in 2011 (seven picks after Cameron Jordan) by the Pittsburgh Steelers and remains a force on the defensive line with seven Pro Bowls and four first-team All-Pro honors to his name.

Grady Jarrett, who has his mother’s last name, is the son of Jessie Tuggle, who went undrafted in 1987 but built a respectable 14-year career at linebacker with the Atlanta Falcons. Jarrett was drafted by the Falcons in 2015 and spent his first 10 years in the NFL there before signing with the Chicago Bears this offseason. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler.

Mario Edwards Sr. scrapped out a five-year career in the NFL at the turn of the century, but his son has lasted over a decade and is currently a key piece for the Houston Texans’ defense. Kris Jenkins Jr. was a second-round pick in 2024, just like his father was a second-round pick by the Jets in 2001. The elder Jenkins made four Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro squads in his 10 NFL seasons.

LinebackerStarters: Tremaine Edmunds (Chicago Bears), Christian Elliss (New England Patriots), Devin Bush Jr. (Cleveland Browns)Backups: Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (Philadelphia Eagles), Kaden Elliss (Atlanta Falcons), Jonah Elliss (Denver Broncos)

Tremaine Edmunds, 27, and his brother Terrell, 28, became the first brothers drafted in the first round of the same draft in 2018. (Terrell, a safety, was recently cut by the Las Vegas Raiders and signed to their practice squad.) Their dad, Ferrell, played tight end in the league from 1988 to 1994 and was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Dolphins. Devin Bush Jr. and his dad were both first-round picks, the elder of whom won Super Bowl XXXIV with the St. Louis Rams as a safety.

Jonah (22), Christian (26) and Kaden (30) Elliss play for the Broncos, Patriots and Falcons, respectively. How does their dad, Luther, who was a first-round pick in 1995 and played primarily for the Detroit Lions, split up his Sunday viewing schedule?

Jeremiah Trotter Sr. was a four-time Pro Bowler who played 12 NFL seasons and was inducted into the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame in 2016. His son, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., was selected by his former club in 2024.

SafetyStarters: Antoine Winfield Jr. (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Jamal Adams (Las Vegas Raiders)Backup: R.J. Mickens (Los Angeles Chargers)

Antoine Winfield Jr., whose dad was a first-round pick in 1999 and played cornerback primarily for the Minnesota Vikings, was a first-team All-Pro as recently as 2023 and finished sixth in the Defensive Player of the Year vote that season.

Jamal Adams’ father, George, burst onto the NFL scene as a rookie running back with the Giants in 1985, but a hip injury sat him out for the team’s 1986 Super Bowl campaign. He was never the same player after that, a heartbreaking mystery of potential, but also a motivator for Jamal, who has had three Pro Bowl nods since being selected with the No. 6 pick in 2017. He’s moved to linebacker this year for the Raiders, but we’re keeping him at the position he played for the first eight years of his career.

R.J. Mickens, whose dad, Ray, played cornerback for 10 seasons, rounds out the safeties.

CornerbackStarters: Pat Surtain II (Denver Broncos), Jaycee Horn (Carolina Panthers), Marlon Humphrey (Baltimore Ravens)Backups: Joey Porter Jr. (Pittsburgh Steelers), Kaiir Elam (Dallas Cowboys), Quentin Lake (Los Angeles Rams)

Pat Surtain II is an obvious call as the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. His dad, Patrick Surtain, also played cornerback and split his 11-year career between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs. It was during his seven years in Miami that Surtain Sr. established himself as a force, highlighted by back-to-back first-team All-Pro years in 2002 and 2003.

Bobby Humphrey had a solid five-year run in the NFL at running back. His son, Marlon, chose the other side of the ball and has been a staple for the Baltimore Ravens since 2017. He was a first-team All-Pro at slot cornerback last year so he easily fits into our nickel role here.

Jaycee Horn’s dad, Joe, is probably best known for his iconic cell phone celebration but the wide receiver had a solid 12-year career in the NFL, including a seven-year run in New Orleans that landed him in the Saints Hall of Fame. Jaycee made his first Pro Bowl last season and signed an extension this offseason that made him the highest-paid defensive back in the league until the Houston Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. topped him on a per-year basis. (Stingley’s grandfather, by the way, was a Patriots receiver in the 1970s, and while his father, Derek Stingley Sr. played nine years in the Arena Football League, we’re limiting this team strictly to those whose dads played in the NFL.)

The Steelers drafted Joey Porter Sr. in 1999, then had some déjà vu when they took his son, Joey Porter Jr., in the 2023 NFL draft. Speaking of the Steelers, they got 10 great years out of Carnell Lake through the ‘90s, which earned him a spot on the NFL’s All-Decade team of the ’90s and an induction into the Steelers’ Hall of Fame. His son, Quentin, is carving out a spot for himself in Los Angeles with the Rams. Abram Elam had a journeyman career through the NFL for almost a decade in the 2000s and early 2010s. His son, Kaiir, was a first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills and is now on the Dallas Cowboys, where Abram had two stints.

Special teams

For the time being, we’re going to have to go for two after touchdowns. There are no kickers who had NFL fathers currently on a roster but worry not, help could be on the way! Longtime NFL kicker Martin Gramatica’s son, Nico, is a kicker at the University of South Florida. A.J. Vinatieri, son of Adam, is a kicker at Lindenwood University.

Although we don’t have a second-generation pure punter, Christian McCaffrey is able to flex his versatility in more ways than just in the backfield. He has some experience punting in high school, tallying 39 kicks, according to MaxPreps, of which 14 landed inside the 20. His longest punt was 69 yards, his junior year, but he also had a 65-yard boot during his senior season.

Head coachKyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers)

Kyle Shanahan, right, is still chasing winning a Super Bowl or two like his dad did, but he’s made it there twice in his first eight seasons with the 49ers. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

There are two active head coaches whose fathers also coached in the league: the 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan and first-year Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer. Mike Shanahan was a Broncos legend who led the team to back-to-back Super Bowls in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Marty Schottenheimer coached the Browns, Chiefs, Redskins and Chargers between 1984 and 2006.

Rams coach Sean McVay deserves mention as well, though it was his grandfather, John, who was the head coach of the Giants in the late 1970s and later a key executive with the 49ers during their dynasty days.

Our head coach for the All-Second Gen team is clearly Shanahan, who has posted a 78-66 record over eight seasons with San Francisco. His 49ers have won three NFC West titles, made four postseason appearances and advanced to the Super Bowl twice. The 2024 season had high hopes, but injury trouble led to a disappointing 6-11 campaign. But with many top playmakers back, including McCaffrey, Shanahan and his team are looking to bounce back.

(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Top photos: Cooper Neill, Scott Taetsch, Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)