Entering Year 6 with the Los Angeles Rams and his 18th NFL season overall, Matthew Stafford’s run is still going strong.
“Rams captains,” the LA Times’ Gary Klein reported on X on August 31, listing “QB Matthew Stafford, RB Kyren Williams, WR Davante Adams, TE Tyler Higbee, C Coleman Shelton, DL Kobie Turner, OLB Myles Garrett, ILB Nate Landman, CB Trent McDuffie, S Quentin Lake and LS Joe Cardona.”
The Athletic’s Nate Atkins corroborated Klein’s report with his own, and the Rams followed.
“Introducing our 2026 captains,” [saluting emoji],” the Rams posted on X on August 31, including a graphic of the 11 selections.
First-year Rams star Myles Garrett and fellow newcomer and offseason trade acquisition Trent McDuffie are both noteworthy first-times. For the Rams and other teams, captains are selected by the locker room as a group.
For Stafford, that makes his latest feat that much more noteworthy.
Matthew Stafford Continues Streak With Rams
The Rams acquired Stafford in a trade with the Lions in 2021. The former No. 1overall pick has not broken stride.
“Stafford will be a captain for the sixth-straight year, Williams for the second-straight. For Higbee, it’s the second time he’s been a captain and first since 2023. Shelton and Adams are both first-time Rams captains,” TheRams.com’s Stu Jackson wrote on August 31.
“Meanwhile, Turner and Lake will both serve as captains for the third-straight year. Landman, a free agent signee last offseason who was extended in-season, earns the captain nod for a second-consecutive year after doing so in his first as a Ram. Garrett, McDuffie and Cardona are team captains in their first season as Rams, though Garrett and Cardona have been captains before with the Browns and Patriots respectively.”
It goes deeper than that for Stafford, though.
The three-time Pro Bowler has been a captain every season but one, his rookie year in 2009 with the Lions.
That makes 17 captaincies for Stafford in 18 seasons, which he has split between two organizations. Accomplished players often walking into those roles, as Garrett and McDuffie illustrate, and quarterbacks are the most commonplace selection.
Still, Stafford’s runs with the Lions and now the Rams remain remarkable.
Sean McVay Sends Message About Matthew Stafford, Rams Team Captains
Rams head coach Sean McVay raves about Stafford at every opportunity, and that extended to the other 10 captains.
“We’ve got as much leadership as we’ve ever had since I’ve been the coach here,” McVay said, per Jackson, adding, “A lot of a lot of great leaders that we have, but those 11 guys represent a lot of the things that, really all the things that we want to be about. I think what’s cool is all of the position rooms and position groups are reflected with those 11 guys.”
This season is all about reaching and winning the Super Bowl the Rams.
That is true for every team, but especially Stafford and the Rams. Their trades for Garrett and McDuffie, signing the latter’s former Kansas City Chiefs teammate Jaylen Watson in free agency, and luring Aaron Donald out of retirement all set that expectation.
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