Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen celebrates during the Buffalo Bills' divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 19, 2025. Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bills name pair of returning captains for 2025 season

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI | By Owen Klein | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 3:17 PM ET

Much like 2024, the Buffalo Bills will have only two captains for 2025, and both are the same as last season's: quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Terrel Bernard.

The Bills had eight captains before 2024, and Allen and Bernard proved the decision was worthwhile by driving Buffalo to its first AFC Championship Game appearance in four years. The two earned lucrative contract extensions this offseason as well.

Allen won the NFL MVP award for the first time in his career in 2024, throwing for 3,731 yards and accounting for 41 total touchdowns en route to a six-year, $330 million contract extension in March.

Certified C's. ⭐️#GoBills | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/KNKtnW4rO0
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 1, 2025

Bernard, a 2022 third-round pick, blossomed into a star in 2023 with 143 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. His numbers dipped a bit in 2024, but he won the AFC Defensive Player of the Week award in November against the Chiefs. He signed a four-year, $50 million extension in March.

This is Allen's seventh straight season as a team captain, with his first being in 2019, his second season in the league. Meanwhile, this is Bernard's second straight season as a captain.

The final season at the old Highmark Stadium will be one that fans will follow as closely as they have in the past, and Allen and Bernard will once again lead the charge for the players in 2025.