Texans Announce Who Their Four Captains Will Be for 2026 Season

The Houston Texans are just days away from kicking off their 2026 regular season after a long offseason await.

And in the days ahead of the Texans' Week 1 opener against the Buffalo Bills, the team has officially announced who their captains will be for the 2026 season.

In all, it’s four captains––just one less than the Texans had heading into last season.

Who the Texans Captains Will Be This Season

According to an announcement from the Texans, the following players have been named captains:

- QB C.J. Stroud

- DE Will Anderson

- LB Azeez Al-Shaair

- DB Jalen Pitre

The C is stamped‼️ pic.twitter.com/AeEdOAQ2l6
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 7, 2026

It's a largely similar group to last year's captains unit for the Texans, albeit with a couple of changes.

For one, veteran running back Dare Ogunbowale is off the roster this season after spending the past three seasons in Houston, who currently resides in free agency after being cut from the Las Vegas Raiders following training camp. So, naturally, he's out of the mix for the Texans.

But besides Ogunbowale's departure, defensive back Jalen Pitre will also be making his debut as a captain in Houston.

He effectively replaces wide receiver Nico Collins, who was one of the five with a captain’s patch this time last year, and now becomes the only player who's still on from last year's roster to not be named a captain for a second straight year.

Aug 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) and teammates enters the field out of the tunnel before the Texans play the Las Vegas Raiders at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texans' captains’ decisions certainly aren't choices that come easy, primarily because of the culture that head coach DeMeco Ryans has established in the building, combined with the various former captains that Houston has on the roster.

Several outspoken leaders and strong voices reside in the Texans locker room. In recent offseasons, Houston has made a clear effort to bring in personalities of such a nature to reinforce their “S.W.A.R.M." culture that's been in place since Ryans' arrival as head coach in 2023.

Just this offseason, the Texans brought in multiple new players who were once captains at their previous stops. Houston signed Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship as one of their most notable examples in free agency, and also drafted a fair share of captains. Half of their eight draft picks served as team captains in college.

So for any player who's deserving enough to secure a captain’s patch on their jersey for the Texans in any given season, it's certainly a statement as to the mark they've made in the building leading up to the regular season. They've stood out amongst a unique, high-quality locker room, and are bound to have a big voice on the team moving forward into the season.

This year, the Texans clearly prioritized two factors when giving out nods for captains: key pieces on the defensive side of the ball and tenured pieces of the roster.

Each of the Texans' four captains for this season will be entering at least their third season with the team, with the longest-tenured name being Pitre, who's bound to take on his fifth season with Houston.

Those four Texans will show off their captain’s patch for the first time this season as they kick off their Week 1 contest against the Bills, set for 12 p.m. CT on Sunday, September 13th.

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