Eagles Reveal 9 Captains, 2 New Additions
PHILADELPHIA – Not only are they both 1,000-yard receivers and one of the NFL’s top pass-catching duos, but Philadelphia Eagles receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are now both team captains for the first time in their careers.
The team revealed its captains on Tuesday and there are nine of them.
In addition to Brown and Smith, the others are:
- Fletcher Cox (6th season as captain)
- Jake Elliott (2nd season)
- Brandon Graham (5th season)
- Jalen Hurts (3rd season)
- Lane Johnson (2nd season)
- Jason Kelce (6th season)
- Darius Slay (2nd season)
Head coach Nick Sirianni informed the team who the captains were during a team meeting on Thursday. The honor was voted on by the team.
DeVonta Smith (left) and A.J. Brown
USA Today
Last year, Slay was voted a team captain for the first time, and he was reduced to tears.
This year, Sirianni waited until announcing the first seven before revealing the two first-year captains, Brown and Smith.
Brown said on the team’s website that, after not seeing his name on the initial PowerPoint slide he thought, “Maybe next year.”
Then came the news.
“It meant everything to me just to get the respect from your peers, your teammates, to know that you're being watched and they value what you say and how you go about your day,” Brown said on the team’s website. “For them to pick me as a captain tells me that they trust me. That means a lot to me.”
Brown, who wasn't a team captain during his first three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, was equally happy for his receiver running mate, Smith.
“DeVonta is the guy who doesn't really talk as much but leads by example by how he works and I think those leaders are just as important,” he told the tea’s website. “He doesn't have to say anything. He just lines up and goes to work. Those are really important leaders as well.”
Added Siriani during his Tuesday videocall: “Really happy for all the guys voted captain because it says so much about them and what their teammates think about them and just obviously get really excited for the guys that are going to wear the ‘C’ on their chest for the first time this year.
“It didn’t surprise me at all because A.J. and DeVonta have special leadership qualities and play tremendous football and they lead in their own way. I’m just really happy for them. I’m really happy for all of them but the two new guys, really happy for them."
Being a captain never gets old for Graham, who will handle the role for a fifth time.
“It means a lot to me,” he said on the team website. “I take it seriously. When the guys vote for you, hell yeah it means a lot to me. It's something that I've cherished since it started for me, being a captain.
“I try to lead by example and by just having the right attitude every day, keeping the guys up, always having a smile on my face. We have a lot of great energy with this team and I'm just trying to lead that way. Being a captain, yeah, it's a big deal to me and I'm grateful for it.”
