Seattle Seahawks Name Their Team Captains For Week One

With just two days to go before the season opens up, the Seattle Seahawks have put their initial team captains forward for the world to know.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) reacts to the win against the Washington Commanders. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Seattle Seahawks are one of the NFL teams that likes to name new captains for every game they play. That creates an inkling of drama every week as to who gets the nod from the coaching staff. How the team makes their selection of the captains from week-to-week isn’t entirely known, but what is known is who the week one captains will be.

Sam Darnold Takes The Conch Offensively

It’s not much of a surprise to see the quarterback leading off as a team captain, so Sam Darnold getting the first spot should look appropriate. Most offenses have the signal-caller take on the leadership role, so I’d imagine Darnold gets this a lot throughout the season. And when you look at where his leadership has gotten him in recent years, I’m all for it.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and running back Kenneth Walker III (9) celebrate with the Vince Lombardi trophy after defeating the New England Patriots. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Darnold has made back-to-back Pro Bowls and posted back-to-back fourteen win seasons across two different teams, including winning Super Bowl LX last season. While Jaxon Smith-Njigba is widely considered the best player on the team, Darnold is still a fairly clear leader. And this year, he’ll likely be playing for his next contract. Expect great things.

Ernest Jones and Leonard Williams Split The Defense

This is a fun pairing. On the one hand, you have Ernest Jones IV, who wears the green dot and is clearly an on-field and off-field leader for the Seahawks on defense. Then, you have Leonard Williams (of a recent $90 million extension), who might be the best player on the defense. It makes sense to name both players week one captain.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) talks to media members at the San Jose Marriott. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

There’s no shortage of potential captains on this defense, though. Byron Murphy II is likely to step forward this season into All-Pro status, Devon Witherspoon is already a top dog at his position, DeMarcus Lawrence is a wily veteran with so much left to give this team, and even Julian Love qualifies. There’s a lot of leadership in this room.

Brady Russell Takes Us Home

For the moment, Brady Russell represents both the offense (as a fullback) and special teams, but he’s certainly more well known for what he can do on special teams. The Seahawks have a high-profile special teams unit, with veterans like Jason Myers and Michael Dickson, so that Russell would get this nod to start the season is notable in my mind.

Seattle Seahawks fullback Brady Russell (38) exits the tunnel during player introductions before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As an aside, it’s worth noting that all four of these captains did not start their careers as members of the Seahawks. Darnold was signed after spending time with four different teams, Williams and Jones were traded for, and Russell technically spent time on the practice squad in Philadelphia, although he never suited up for them. Meaningful? At least notable.

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