New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh has never viewed leadership as something that should belong exclusively to the players wearing a captain’s patch.
That philosophy dates back to his time with the Baltimore Ravens, where Harbaugh routinely used a player leadership council while also rotating game-day captains throughout the season.
The leadership council gave veteran players a direct voice in the operation of the team. Members were voted on by their teammates and met with Harbaugh to discuss everything from team issues to practice schedules. Harbaugh made it clear, however, that the council was not the only source of leadership inside the locker room.
“We feel like we’ve got leadership throughout the roster,” Harbaugh said in 2022. “We want
to honor that and recognize that -- that we’re a team and that we have a team of leaders.”
Game-day captains were handled differently. Rather than naming a permanent group for the season, Harbaugh selected captains on a week-to-week basis. The choices could change depending on circumstances, the opponent, or simply an opportunity to recognize a particular player's leadership.
That approach remained in place throughout Harbaugh's Baltimore tenure. The Ravens officially moved away from it this year under new head coach Jesse Minter, who established five season-long captains after a player vote.
The Giants are now taking a familiar approach under Harbaugh. Rather than relying solely on traditional captains, they have established a leadership council selected by their teammates consisting of Andrew Thomas, Jaxson Dart, Jevon Holland, Jordan Stout, Brian Burns, Jameis Winston, Tremaine Edmunds and Chris Manhertz.
That's more than a cosmetic change.
For Harbaugh, leadership has always been about creating more voices within the locker room — and making players feel ownership of the team. The captaincy may change from Sunday to Sunday, but the expectation to lead does not.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Why New York Giants are taking different approach to team captains in 2026
