The New England Patriots announced their team captains on Monday, but the six men will not be the only ones carrying that honor into the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. Outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson has also been named a special “game captain” by head coach Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel revealed Chaisson as a seventh captain for Week 1 after naming the permanent six captains.
“The game captain, because he got votes on special teams and defense, KC,” Vrabel told the team ahead of Monday’s practice.
Chaisson joined the Patriots in March via a one-year, $3 million free agency deal. Since then, he has been a mainstay for the team along the defensive edge and recently played himself into a starter spot opposite fellow offseason addition Harold Landry. As evidenced by the fact he received captaincy votes in two areas, the 26-year-old also projects to play a prominent role in the kicking game.
Before arriving in New England, Chaisson spent four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had selected him 20th overall in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He later had a brief offseason stint in Carolina before making his way to the Raiders. In his lone season in Las Vegas, he set new career highs in sacks (5) and forced fumbles (1).
Now going up against his ex-club, he will join the Patriots’ other captains. The six players announced to hold that title for every game this season are quarterback Drake Maye, tight end Hunter Henry, the aforementioned Harold Landry, linebacker Robert Spillane, cornerback Marcus Jones, and special teamer Brenden Schooler.
New England will kick off its 2025 season at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7, versus the Raiders at Gillette Stadium.
