OHIO — With less than a week remaining before NFL football returns to the great state of Ohio, the Bengals and Browns have announced their team captains for the 2026 season.
Starting in southern Ohio, the Bengals selected seven season-long captains—three from the offense, three from the defense and one from special teams.
Offense:
- Joe Burrow
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Ted Karras
Defense:
- Dexter Lawrence II
- DJ Turner II
- Bryan Cook
Special Teams:
- Evan McPherson
Meanwhile, in Cleveland, head coach Todd Monken has taken the path less traveled. Rather than naming permanent captains before the season, Monken and his coaching staff will select five players to serve as captains each week.
The Browns will use two offensive captains, two defensive captains and one special teams captain for each game. At the end of the season, the players will vote on the team’s permanent captains for 2026.
For Week 1, Cleveland selected the following players:
Offense:
- Deshaun Watson
- Zion Johnson
Defense:
- Mason Graham
- Tyson Campbell
Special Teams:
- Rex Sunahara
The Browns will travel to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars, while the Bengals will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium. Both games will kick off Sunday at 1 p.m.
