The Arizona Cardinals named their captains for the 2024 season, as Howard Balzer reported earlier on Monday. It was different than in 2023 when head coach Jonathan Gannon selected the captains. This time, the players voted for captains. Four were named as opposed to six last season.
But there is a twist this season as well.
Gannon said that they would also have game captains.
“Most games we’ll have a game captain that the players will pick, but (there are) a lot of good guys in that locker room,” he said.
It is notable that no special teams players were named captains. On offense, it was quarterback Kyler Murray and running back James Conner. On defense, it was linebacker Kyzir White and safety Budda Baker.
“There’s a bunch of leaders on special teams units and those guys will be into the game captain roles,” Gannon said. “It doesn’t just have to be special teams, but I wouldn’t read too much into that. We have a lot of guys that pop into my mind that could be captains that got votes to be the captains.”
Gannon said game captain votes will happen Saturday nights.
It is something that hasn’t been done with the Cardinals in the years I have covered the team. It is, though, something seen in some college programs.
In a locker room with a lot of leaders, it is a good way to formally reward good leadership, good weeks of practice and more.
We will see if that continues into next season.
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