Votes were rounded up at Gillette Stadium on the first day of September. An official announcement followed.
Quarterback Drake Maye, tight end Hunter Henry, offensive tackle Morgan Moses, linebacker Robert Spillane, cornerback Marcus Jones and safety Kevin Byard III have been named New England Patriots captains for the 2026 season.
Maye, 24, officially stands as a back-to-back captain in Foxborough. The North Carolina product, taken No. 3 overall
in the 2024 NFL draft, completed an NFL-leading 72 percent of his passes for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions last regular season. He added 450 yards and four visits to the end zone as a rusher for the eventual AFC champions.
Henry, 30, initially served as a Patriots captain in 2023, was elevated again amid 2024, and got the call out of the gate in 2025. He now gets his fourth nod on the heels of a contract extension in training camp. Arriving as a free agent from the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021, the former No. 35 overall pick and John Mackey Award winner out of Arkansas has appeared in 81 games while making 67 starts for the franchise. His tenure at tight end spans 259 catches for 2,973 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Moses, 35, appeared in the running to become a team captain dating back to his introductory press conference in March 2025. The veteran right tackle is one now. Moses started all 17 games during his first year with the Patriots and stayed in 1,033 offensive snaps. Originally entering the NFL with Washington in the third round of the 2024 draft, the Virginia alum has also made stops with the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens. He has appeared in 183 career games and started 175.
Spillane, 30, gets his second nod in his second season with the Patriots. The 2025 signing made 13 starts at linebacker last campaign. Wearing the green dot off the ball, he totaled 97 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and two interceptions in the process. Previously a captain for the Las Vegas Raiders, Spillane has also been a member of the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Western Michigan product entered the NFL as an undrafted tryout in 2018 and stands 99 games into his career.
Jones, 27, checks in as a two-time Patriots captain. The lone selection left from the organization’s 2022 draft class, the former No. 85 overall pick by way of Troy and Houston has appeared in 48 games. Making 22 starts in the secondary, Jones’ career includes 167 tackles, two sacks and six interceptions. It also includes two touchdowns on defense, one touchdown on offense and three touchdowns on punt returns. He earned first-team All-Pro honors as a rookie and second-team All-Pro honors last season.
Byard, 33, reunited with a familiar staff in March after leading the NFL with seven interceptions as a Chicago Bear in 2025. A three-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro, the veteran safety has appeared in 164 games and made 155 starts since entering the league out of Middle Tennessee State in the third round of the 2016 draft. A team captain throughout his journey, which began with the Tennessee Titans, Byard has amassed 972 tackles, 36 interceptions, six sacks, four forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and two touchdown returns.
Ahead of Mike Vrabel’s inaugural season as Patriots head coach, outside linebacker Harold Landry III and special teams ace Brenden Schooler also found themselves among New England’s six team captains. Both will miss the start of 2026 while on the club’s physically unable to perform and non-football injury list, respectively.
