Day by day, week by week, month by month, Jesse Minter has continued to make new waves with the Baltimore Ravens. It’s a different era, and it has wasted no time instilling pillars that should lead to success.
The latest sign of change: team captains. For the first time, Baltimore will have year-long team captains. Here are the five players who will wear the C on their chest in 2026.
- Lamar Jackson
- Derrick Henry
- Calais Campbell
- Roquan Smith
- Kyle Hamilton
A 10-man leadership team will also be formed from the five captains and five others. Those others are:
- Zay Flowers
- Mark Andrews
- Ronnie Stanley
- Trey Hendrickson
- Nick Moore
This breaks from a longstanding tradition under John Harbaugh. Throughout his tenure, Harbaugh opted to have weekly captains. Excluding two playoff games in the 2024-25 season, the Ravens hadn’t worn captain patches.
That’ll change under Minter.
Baltimore Ravens introduce team captains and leaders for 2026
This is almost completely new ground for Baltimore, but it’s a welcome change. With all the struggles this team has had in the big moments in recent years, having those players to turn to when the season gets rough could prove to be a terrific adjustment in team philosophy.
During Thursday's press conference, Jesse Minter made it clear why he believes this is important for his roster.
“I want those guys to feel the responsibility of having a C on their chest and being a team captain,” Minter said.
The captains were also voted on by the players, which only adds to the meaning behind the badge.
No matter how you feel about it, it’s great to see players recognized for their leadership. It’s not just a patch; it’s not just a letter; it means something. It’s a seal of approval that recognizes players and also one they’ll try to uphold every week.
Those five captains and the 10 guys on the leadership team undoubtedly deserve those roles, too. They meet all the expectations that come with being a professional football player. On and off the field, they’ve been true definitions of leaders.
Between offense, defense, and special teams, these are the players you’d expect to see wearing that coveted C. They’re vocal playmakers, and truly all of those names have been praised as mentors this offseason.
For the five captains, that'd probably be one of the first terms used to describe each of them.
- Lamar Jackson has become one of the loudest voices in the locker room over the last few years.
- Derrick Henry’s work ethic is like no other.
- Roquan Smith is the loudest and proudest member of the defense.
- Kyle Hamilton does literally anything a defensive coordinator could ask of him, and does so at an elite level.
Those are the exact players that you want going out on the field and representing your team to the highest degree. It’s easy to see why they were voted as captains.
Most importantly, they play like a Raven. And that’s one mentality Jesse Minter is trying to retain. He’s done a great job of that so far.
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