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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 01: Christian Elliss #53 of the New England Patriots celebrates with Jack Gibbens #51 after a stop during the second quarter of the game against the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium on December 01, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
For Patriots linebacker Christian Ellis, the 2025 season has been a quiet success. Elliss bounced around between the Eagles and the Patriots for his first three seasons, had some success last year with a disorganized team that won just four games, but showed enough to warrant the Patriots bringing him back this year.
Elliss signed a two-year, $13.5 million contract with $7.75 million guaranteed. ensuring he’d stick around this year and probably next year if he played up to his talent.
He’s done that. Ellis has started nine of his 11 games, and has 68 tackles, on pace to set a career high. He has been part of an effective rotation with Jack Gibbens next to anchor Robert Spillane, giving the Patriots a strong unit behind their already strong defensive line. But it was only this week that Elliss really came to the fore not only for Patriots fans, but for the rest of the NFL, too.
Patriots’ Christian Elliss Delivered Big Blow to Giants QB
That’s because, during a first-quarter play on “Monday Night Football” against the Giants, rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart was trying to make a first down on a scramble, and was steaming up the sideline toward the marker. Ellis, meanwhile, was coming across the field with a full head of steam and had a clear shot. He threw himself into Dart, who went sprawling to the turf.
It looked like an especially violent hit. But Dart made no effort to get out of bounds or slide, so it was, in fact, perfectly legal. Still, some of Dart’s teammates were upset and went after Elliss, starting a scrap on the sideline. On social media, too, Giants fans protective of Dart howled at the lack of a call against Elliss.
And, Elliss revealed, they made themselves known to him and his family.
Jaxson Dart Backers Sent ‘Crazy Messages’ to Patriots’ Elliss
Speaking on the “Jones and Keefe Show” on WEEI in Boston, Elliss said Giants fans were rabid after and during the Patriots’ 33-15 win.
“Me, my family, everybody I know got crazy messages. So, it was an interesting night for sure,” Ellis said.
The irony of it all, Elliss said was that Dart himself never said a word about the hit, and even after the game, Dart brushed off questions about the play.
“From him, I thought we were good,” Elliss said. “Yeah he took a lick, but he got right back up and I was getting ready to jog back to the field and obviously, his teammates didn’t like that idea. Good for him. If it’s our guy, I want him going down or going out of bounds. But if that’s how he wants to play, then he’s a hard-nosed, tough guy, so you know, that’s just what’s gonna happen.”
‘This Is Football’
Indeed, Dart made clear after the loss that he had no problem with anything the Patriots, including Ellis, did on Monday.
“I understand the question, but this is football,” he said. “Like, I’m going to get hit if I’m in the pocket or outside the pocket. I feel like I played this way my whole entire life. It shouldn’t be any shocker to anybody if you followed along with my career. We’re not playing soccer out here. You’re going to get hit. Things happen. It’s just part of the game.”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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