Packers Announce Five Team Captains Ahead of Week 1

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Packers Announce Five Team Captains Ahead of Week 1

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael Sakuraba | Last updated Sep 7, 2026 4:26 PM ET

Expectations are high this season for the Green Bay Packers, and the team officially kicked off the year on Monday by announcing their team captains.

There are not many surprises for the players who were selected, although there were some names that were notably left out of the group. Green Bay’s captain group will be led by quarterback Jordan Love and tight end Tucker Kraft on offense, and linebacker Zaire Franklin and safety Xavier McKinney on defense. Isaiah McDuffie represents the Special Teams unit in his sixth season with the team.

Leaders of the Pack pic.twitter.com/idrueZ1I94
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 7, 2026

It’s not unusual for teams to select their franchise quarterback as one of the team’s captains. Both Love and Kraft were captains last season as well, and so was running back Josh Jacobs. With Jacobs’ status this season uncertain due to his off-the-field legal issues, the Packers elected to go with two offensive captains, rather than bring in another name like Christian Watson.

Kraft has been renegotiating his contract with the Packers during the offseason but has attended training camp and will suit up for the team once the regular season starts. The fact that the Packers have named Kraft as a captain likely means the two sides are still on good terms and that a deal will eventually get completed. Kraft is in the last season of his rookie deal and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2027.

Packers announce five season-long captains:

Jordan Love
Tucker Kraft
Xavier McKinney
Zaire Franklin
Isaiah McDuffie (special teams)
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 7, 2026

On defense, Franklin is an interesting choice given that this is his first season with the team. The ninth-year NFL veteran has played his entire career with the Indianapolis Colts, but was traded to the Packers in March for defensive tackle Colby Wooden. Green Bay acquired Franklin to prepare for losing former first-round pick Quay Walker in free agency.

McKinney is entering his third year with the Packers and is coming off his second consecutive All-Pro season as a safety. McDuffie was also the team captain for the Special Teams unit in 2025.

A notable absence from the defensive group is edge rusher Micah Parsons. With Parsons recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in Week 15 last season, the All-Pro defender will be starting the year on the PUP list. He is targeting the Week 6 matchup against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, as his 2026 season debut.

The Packers will begin their regular season on the road against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.