Continuing the tradition established in his opening season, Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald won’t be naming season-long captains, opting for a week-to-week approach.
The Seahawks announced Monday that quarterback Sam Darnold, linebacker Ernest Jones IV, defensive tackle Leonard Williams and fullback Brady Russell will handle the honors for them in their Week 1 Super Bowl rematch. All four players made regular appearances in the coin toss circle last season, so no shockers here, but the Seahawks are
choosing not to repeat their captains from their Super Bowl 60 victory.
Darnold is the obvious choice for an opening-game captain, as the Seahawks starter returns after throwing for over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns on a 67.7% completion percentage a year ago. Seattle’s quarterback will be an instrumental piece in the opener as it welcomes new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury and rookie running back Jadrain Price to the lineup.
The vaunted “Dark Side” defense gets two representatives in Week 1. The team’s vocal leader Jones, who added 126 tackles and a team-leading five interceptions en route to making an appearance on the NFL’s Top 100 list, and the veteran Williams, who anchors the Seahawks’ front and totaled seven sacks in 2025. While the Seahawks trotting out four captains isn’t new, sending out two defensive players to meet New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye might be some gamesmanship on Seattle’s part.
Alongside Williams, Russell returns as a captain from the Seahawks Super Bowl victory and represents the special teams unit. The Seahawks fullback was selected as a captain five times last season, including the Super Bowl and in the team’s 2025 opener.
These Seahawks will look to send a message and start off the team’s repeat journey with a victory against the Patriots on Wednesday night at 5:20 p.m.
