The Denver Broncos announced they have named veteran team captains Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons, quarterbacks Russell Wilson, right tackle Mike McGlinchey and punter Riley Dixon.
The team voted on these captains and came up with these six players as their picks.
captains
Safety – Karim Jackson
Jackson is a 35-year-old player entering his 14th year in the league and his fifth season with the Broncos. He has been one of the leaders of the Broncos’ defense for a few years now and will remain so this year. He is a veteran player and respected locker room leader who still performs on the field while also serving as a mentor to the younger players on the roster.
Safety – Justin Simmons
You could say Simmons is the face of the Broncos. He is arguably the league’s best safety, locker room leader, team ambassador off the field, and does many off the field charities for the community as well.
Like Jackson, he is a respected veteran and locker room leader and is the kind of person you want as the face of your franchise and the leader of your defense. He does so instantly and is a perfect example for the younger players on this list.
Midfielder – Russell Wilson
The midfielder is often voted captain but Russell Wilson deserves the title. He’s a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, has appeared in two Super Bowls, and is a multiple-time Pro Bowl quarterback. He came off a bad season but is the leader of the Broncos’ offense and is the Broncos’ most popular player.
The team needs Wilson to be their leader on and off the field and help lead this team to the postseason and back to winning ways.
Wide Receiver – Cortlandt Sutton
The Broncos’ veteran wide receiver was named captain by the players. He is the player with the tallest skillful position in the locker room and is clearly well respected by his teammates.
Sutton is the young receivers leader and will now take on a larger role as team captain. The team needs him to do well on the field and help this offense recover after a tough season while also being a leader and mentor in the locker room.
Right tackle – Mike McGlinchey
The former San Francisco 49ers right tackle signed a big deal with the Broncos in the offseason and has already been voted captain. There are more regulars up front who could have been voted captains, but the team decided to go with McGlinchey.
He is a veteran player who participated in the Super Bowl and made it to the playoffs during his time with the 49ers. He’s been on winning teams and knows how to do things right away. The Broncos paid him a lot of money for what he could do on the field, but they also got a well-respected player in the locker room who quickly emerged as the team’s leader.
Bunter – Riley Dixon
The veteran punter returned to the Broncos this season as a free agent and has now earned the right to be voted captain.
Dixon makes sense because the special teams unit has seen a lot of change this season. Longtime kicker Brandon McManus was released and the team traded kicker Will Lutz just last week. So, Dixon was the obvious choice for captain because he’s been in the team for the longest time. Now, he can be a leader in that locker room while also flourishing on kicks and field changes during matches.