Identical twins Sydney and Chase Brown went from brothers to competitors on Oct. 27, which saw the brothers play against each other in the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals NFL Week 8 game. According to CBS Sports, the twins, who were born just two minutes apart, were looking forward to the opportunity to put their football skills to the test.

“I’m excited for it because it’s been something that we’ve been looking forward to since we were little kids,” Sydney said a week before the big game, according to the Eagles’ website. “It’s surreal, but we expected it. We worked for it and it’s going to be cool to have that moment with him on the field.”

The Brown brothers finally square off. For the first time, Bengals running back Chase Brown and Eagles safety Sydney Brown – identical twins — will square off in a game today. They grew up together in Canada, played together in high school and at the University of Illinois, and… pic.twitter.com/Ks69zq12Nl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 27, 2024

To get their heads in the game, the twins stopped talking early last week before the battle. Though their mom, Raechel Brown, was hoping for a tie, the game ended in a 37-17 victory for Sydney’s Eagles.

For the first time in @NFL history, Canadian twins are playing in a game against each other.

Sydney and Chase Brown were both named co-captains for the game. 🇨🇦@Bengals | @Eagles pic.twitter.com/GWVcG2wLhD
— NFL Canada (@NFLCanada) October 27, 2024

Brothers Sydney and Chase Brown just had their first NFL jersey swap. ❤️

(via @NFLCanada) pic.twitter.com/6LH8FH5qSs
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 27, 2024

“That would be the best-case scenario,” Raechel said of her desired outcome, per the Bengals’ website. “That would make me happy. I didn’t know much about the NFL. I thought the only time they would play against each other would be in the Super Bowl, and those odds are so low.”

She added, “But every four years, this thing is going to be the biggest rivalry in our family. Whoever wins is going to be bragging for four years.”

According to People, the Brown brothers aren’t the first identical twins to take the football field together. Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber played against his twin, New York Giants running back Tiki Barber, in 2006. Tiki even managed to tackle his sibling.

Teammates in the womb and as players for the New England Patriots, Devin and Jason McCourty played alongside each other during the 2018 Super Bowl, becoming the first twins to play in the championship game.

The Eagles’ victory marks its third in a row, after beating the Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants in recent weeks. They face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 3.

sydney brown

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