Getty Justin Simmons running out of the tunnel for a home game in Denver.
In previous years, the Denver Broncos didn’t have team captains. Former head coach Vic Fangio didn’t want players to be voted and named captains at the beginning of the season. Instead, players would be named team captain each week.
In 2021, Fangio finally allowed six players to wear the letter “C” on their uniforms. Those players were Teddy Bridgewater, Courtland Sutton, Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, Von Miller, and Brandon McManus.
Current Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett had the entire team vote on who they wanted to be a captain. When asked about the captains being named today, Hackett said, “The best testament is how many guys got votes. It wasn’t just those five. It was numerous, numerous guys. On the offensive line we had a bunch of guys. And I think it’s great to see so many people that believe in their teammates. It wasn’t just a specific amount of guys.”
2022 Captains
The captains that were voted on by the players are Russell Wilson, Courtland Sutton, Justin Simmons, Bradley Chubb, and Brandon McManus.
Wilson went to Twitter to mention how thankful he was to be named a captain in his first-year with the team.
When asked what it means to be named a captain for the second time in back-to-back years, Sutton said, “It’s an honor and privilege. For it to come from your peers, your teammates, guys that you grind with every day.” Sutton continued, “For them to see the things that we do on the field, off the field, trying to carry the team in the right direction, it’s an honor. The rest of the guys that were voted captains, it’s just an honor to be able to be in that realm with those guys and to lead the team into the direction we want to go for the season.”
Even as the special teams’ representative, McManus mentioned that it was “An honor. It’s a new staff here, it’s a new group of players, a lot of new faces, a lot of new names. So, it’s a humbling experience. I grew up as a kid in the upper level at Lincoln Financial Field watching the Eagles games and dreaming about being an NFL football player.” McManus added, “Still humbling to me each and every year.”
McManus is the longest tenured Bronco and the only remaining player from the Super Bowl 50 team.
“It’s dope, man. It just puts the icing on the cake. It puts kind of a title on all the hard work and all the type of leadership I’ve been trying to instill. It’s a great accomplishment to be looked at like that by your peers. I’ve got to wear it with pride,” Chubb said after being named a team captain for the first-time in his career.
“I want to be the same person I was before I even had the captain’s logo on my chest. It shouldn’t be too hard to continue to do the same things and be the same person,” Chubb added.
Players That Could’ve Been a Captain
Veteran safety Kareem Jackson might’ve been snubbed this season after being named a captain last year for the Denver defense. Jackson, 34, is entering his 13th season in the NFL and will be playing his fourth season for the Broncos.
Dalton Risner is also another name that pops out. Ever since being drafted by the team in 2019, Risner has become one of the strongest pieces on the offensive line. Risner has been a big help in the development of Garett Bolles at left tackle.
It’s possible that Josey Jewell received some votes from his teammates to become a team captain. Jewell has developed into the starting middle linebacker for Denver over the past couple of seasons. Players and coaches have continued to praise Jewell since jumping into that starting role.
Two wild card players could have been cornerback Patrick Surtain ll and defensive tackle D.J. Jones.
Even though Surtain is entering his second season in the NFL, the star cornerback has carried himself like a pro. Even though Surtain is more on the quiet side when talking to the media, his play will speak for itself.
Jones is just 27-years old, but the defensive lineman has been through a lot and experienced a lot. After being highly recruited in high school, Jones was forced to attend community college for two years before making a jump to play for Ole Miss. Jones would be drafted by the San Francisco 49ers and would be a member of the team that fell just short of winning a Super Bowl in February on 2020.
Jones brings a lot of playoff experience and and skill to the defensive line. Maybe next year, Jones and Surtain will become team captains.