Chicago Bears announce captains for 2026-27 season

No big surprises here, as Caleb Williams, Joe Thuney, Grady Jarrett, and Cario Santos became captains for the second straight season. Linebacker TJ Edwards is the lone first-time captain.

The one minor shock is Jaylon Johnson not being named a captain, after the team praised his work this offseason. Obviously, skill on the field doesn’t always correlate with the “C” on the chest, but some were expecting Johnson to be named in the group.

It should be noted that the captains are voted in by the rest of the team, not just selected by Johnson.

Chicago Bears HC Ben Johnson has strong words for his leaders in Tuesday presser

In previous years, the Bears have struggled with accountability and leadership.

Who can forget the zoo that former coach Matt Eberflus was running, as it seemed there was a different scandal every other week when he was in charge. Granted, the talent level of that roster was much lower, but his inadequate ability to run a locker room was obvious.

A lot has changed since the hiring of Ben Johnson, and Bears fans can be hopeful (for now) that they are in good hands. Even with the landscape in the NFL changing by the day.

“Huge recognition for all those guys.” Johnson said, “Voted by their peers, and a lot of responsibility comes with that. Obviously, they represent the locker room to the coaches, but also to the fanbase. They’re everything that we want to be about. They go about their business the right way. Really proud of those guys.”

The Bears once again went with two offensive, two defensive, and a special teams captain.

Pressure is on the shoulders of Caleb Williams, but more importantly, on this shaky defense. Leaders will need to continue emerging on that side of the ball.