One of the Dolphins’ young standouts is set to join an exclusive NFL club on Sunday — with a little help from the other sideline
It’s a family affair in Madrid.
The Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders will make history on Sunday morning when they square off against one another in Madrid, Spain. It marks the NFL’s first foray into the country, offering a matchup of teams fighting to get traction in the right direction this season. Miami is the team with the hot hand coming in, thanks to a 30-13 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 10. Washington enters this game on a five-game losing skid, dismantled by injuries.
But the game itself won’t be the only monumental moment. There’s a pair of players that are set to join one of the most exclusive and tightest of clubs — brothers who will have shared the field together in the same game. The Paul brothers are next in line.
Dolphins standout tackle Patrick Paul set to share the field with his brother, Chris
Dolphins left tackle Patrick Paul is a full-time starter for the first time in his young NFL career. He has been anywhere from “very good” to “excellent” this season. The way he’s managed to mitigate the Dolphins’ transition away from the now-retired Terron Armstead is an impressive feat — although it may not be that big of a surprise considering both Armstead’s mentorship in 2024 and the fact that Paul shared the road to the NFL with someone else in his family.
Patrick’s brother, Chris, is the Washington Commanders’ starting left guard this season. A seventh-round draft choice in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Tulsa, Chris is the “big” brother between the two Paul brothers and he’s already set a career high for starts in a season in 2025 with eight. Chris had logged eight career starts with the Commanders before the Dolphins made Patrick as second-round draft selection in 2024 out of Houston.
Famous sets of NFL brothers
- Peyton and Eli Manning
- Shannon and Sterling Sharpe
- J.J. and T.J. Watt
- Nick and Joey Bosa
- Travis and Jason Kelce
- Ronde and Tiki Barber
- John and Jim Harbaugh
There are some well-documented royal families in football. The Mannings. The Sharpes. The Kelces. The Bosas. The Watts. Chris and Patrick Paul may not directly line up across from one another on Sunday during the game, but they’ll be the next pair of brothers to formally get to share the field of battle against one another as opponents in the NFL.
It’s a special moment. The league will savor a proverbial moment in the sun as the NFL kicks off in a new, untapped international market. And for most involved and in attendance, that will serve as the hallmark achievement of the game. But for the Paul family, there’s something even bigger to be celebrating, instead.
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