Jalen Hurts, Darius Slay Among Eagles Named Captains by Teammates

Seven different players received the honor and for Hurts, it's his second in a row

PHILADELPHIA - Veteran cornerback Darius Slay was overcome by emotion when he learned that he would be one of the Eagles' captains for the 2022 season.

"He held back tears talking about it the other day because it means so much to him," said quarterback Jalen Hurts on Thursday. "That's a guy I want leading."

Slay will be one of three defensive captains, along with Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox.

On offense, Hurts will once again be a team captain as he prepares to enter Year 2 as the starting QB. Joining him are Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce.

Kicker Jake Elliott will represent the special teams.

"It means everything, said Hurts about being named captain for a second straight year. "I think just obviously trying to do things the right way for the team, putting the team first. Doing everything I can with all my ability to just play at a high level for the team, lead in the right direction, set the right example for everybody.

"I take it in high regards, and I hold a lot of value to being a captain. I just want those guys to know that I’m going to give them everything I got, every game, every play, every ounce of studying, every ounce of preparation. It’s for the benefit of the group, the accountability, whatever. Through it all, it’s all for the team, and I appreciate it."

The honor was voted on by the players themselves.

Philadelphia began naming captains during the 2017 Super Bowl season and the tradition has bridged from Doug Pederson to Sirianni.

In Pederson’s last season as head coach in 2020, the coach himself named the captains, something that was related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strange virtual reality which made it difficult for the players to bond.

Last season, the first under Sirianni, the captains were Hurts and Kelce on offense, Cox, Graham, and Rodney McLeod on defense, and Alex Singleton for special teams.

The captains under Pederson were:

2017: Carson Wentz, Jason Peters, Malcolm Jenkins, Brandon Graham, Chris Maragos

2018: Carson Wentz, Jason Kelce, Malcolm Jenkins, Fletcher Cox, Kamu Grugier-Hill

2019: Carson Wentz, Jason Kelce, Malcolm Jenkins, Fletcher Cox, Kamu Grugier-Hill/Duke Riley

2020: Carson Wentz, Jason Kelce, Jason Peters, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Rodney McLeod, Duke Riley, Craig James

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talker Jody McDonald, every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com and JAKIBSports.com. You can reach John at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen