Ravens name five season-long captains, unveil 10-man leadership team for 2026

Ravens name five season-long captains, unveil 10-man leadership team for 2026

By Brian Hradsky

The Baltimore Ravens are changing the way they handle team leadership in the first season under head coach Jesse Minter.

Baltimore announced Thursday that Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Roquan Smith, Kyle Hamilton and Calais Campbell will serve as the Ravens’ five captains for the 2026 season. The club also named a broader 10-player leadership group that includes those five captains along with Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers, Nick Moore, Ronnie Stanley and Trey Hendrickson.

It represents a significant philosophical change for an organization that traditionally rotated captains from week to week under former head coach John Harbaugh. Minter acknowledged during the offseason that the Ravens were considering moving toward permanent captains, saying in March that the coaching staff was discussing the benefits of both approaches.

Now Minter has made his decision, and Baltimore has selected a group that combines its biggest stars, longest-tenured players and several respected veterans.

Jackson remains the face of the franchise

There was little question Jackson would be one of Baltimore’s primary leaders.

The two-time NFL MVP enters his ninth season and remains the centerpiece of everything the Ravens do offensively. Minter praised Jackson during the offseason for his work ethic, leadership and ability to continue evolving as a quarterback.

Jackson is also entering 2026 with considerable expectations following an injury-plagued 2025 season. Baltimore missed the playoffs at 8-9, triggering a coaching change after 18 seasons under Harbaugh. The Ravens now believe a healthy Jackson, combined with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle’s system, can put the offense back among the NFL’s elite.

Jackson has expressed confidence in what Baltimore is building offensively, saying this week that he cannot wait to showcase the new system.

Giving Jackson a permanent captain’s designation makes sense. This is unquestionably his football team.

Henry earns another major leadership role

Henry’s selection is equally unsurprising.

The veteran running back has quickly established himself as one of Baltimore’s most respected players despite spending most of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Minter has repeatedly praised Henry’s preparation, durability and professionalism, calling him a major piece of the offense during the spring.

At this point in Henry’s career, his value extends beyond rushing yards and touchdowns. Younger players get a daily look at how one of the most accomplished running backs of his generation prepares.

Baltimore is betting on Henry remaining an important component of an offense that will again attempt to balance Jackson’s dynamic ability with a physical running game.

Smith and Hamilton lead the defense

Baltimore also selected two players who have become central figures in the Ravens’ defensive identity.

Smith remains the voice in the middle of the defense. Even during a difficult 2025 season, he led Baltimore with 130 tackles despite missing two games.

Since arriving from Chicago in 2022, Smith has provided the Ravens with the kind of presence traditionally associated with Baltimore inside linebackers. His communication responsibilities and position naturally put him in the center of the defense, but his influence goes beyond calling plays.

Hamilton represents another piece of the Ravens’ present and future.

The versatile safety has already developed into one of Baltimore’s premier defensive players, capable of lining up deep, in the slot, near the line of scrimmage or essentially anywhere defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver needs him. He has also become an increasingly prominent voice within the locker room.

Having Smith and Hamilton as permanent captains gives Baltimore established leadership at two different levels of the defense.

Campbell’s selection carries special significance

Perhaps the most interesting captain is Campbell.

The Ravens brought the veteran defensive lineman back to Baltimore in May, and at 40 years old and entering his 19th NFL season, Campbell immediately became one of the most experienced players in the league. Baltimore’s official roster lists Campbell at 6-foot-8, 307 pounds with 19 years of NFL experience.

Campbell previously played for the Ravens from 2020 through 2022, so his familiarity with the organization goes well beyond that of a typical offseason addition.

His presence should be particularly valuable in a defensive-line room that includes players such as Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, Aeneas Peebles and John Jenkins.

A captain designation immediately after returning to Baltimore says plenty about the respect Campbell commands throughout the organization.

Ravens establish a deeper leadership group

Minter did not stop with five captains.

The Ravens also established a wider leadership team consisting of:

• Lamar Jackson
• Roquan Smith
• Kyle Hamilton
• Calais Campbell
• Derrick Henry
• Mark Andrews
• Zay Flowers
• Nick Moore
• Ronnie Stanley
• Trey Hendrickson

That group represents practically every section of the roster.

Andrews provides another established offensive voice and has become one of the most productive players in franchise history. Pro Football Reference currently lists him as Baltimore’s all-time leader with 484 receptions, 5,952 receiving yards and 56 receiving touchdowns entering the 2026 season.

Stanley gives the offensive line representation and is one of Baltimore’s longest-tenured players.

Flowers represents the younger generation of Ravens stars and has developed into Jackson’s most dangerous wide receiver.

Moore’s inclusion is notable because it gives special teams a voice. The long snapper has become a fixture in Baltimore and signed an extension through 2029 in January.

Hendrickson’s inclusion may be the most impressive considering how recently he arrived. Baltimore signed the veteran edge rusher as an unrestricted free agent in March after his successful tenure with Cincinnati. He led the NFL in sacks in 2024 and immediately gives Baltimore another accomplished veteran on the edge.

Being selected for the leadership group before playing a regular-season snap for Baltimore suggests Hendrickson has already made a significant impression inside the building.

A departure from the Harbaugh era

This announcement is more important than simply determining who walks to midfield for the coin toss.

For years, Baltimore generally selected captains on a game-by-game basis. That was Harbaugh’s preferred approach and sometimes allowed the Ravens to recognize a player facing a former team or someone who had earned the distinction during that particular week.

Baltimore did briefly use permanent captain patches during the 2024 postseason. Jackson, Andrews, Henry, Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Chris Board were voted captains for that playoff run, while other players could still serve as game captains.

Minter is now putting his own stamp on the tradition.

Instead of constantly rotating leadership designations, Baltimore enters the season with five clearly established captains while maintaining a larger council of respected players.

It gives the Ravens leadership at quarterback, running back, offensive line, tight end, wide receiver, defensive line, linebacker, safety, edge rusher and special teams.

That is about as complete a representation of an NFL locker room as a coaching staff could construct.

MSB Take

This is a smart early move by Jesse Minter.

Changing coaches after nearly two decades inevitably changes the dynamics inside a locker room, and Minter does not need to be the only person responsible for establishing the new culture. Giving Jackson, Henry, Smith, Hamilton and Campbell official ownership of that responsibility creates a direct line between the coaching staff and some of the most respected players on the roster.

I particularly like the expanded leadership team. Andrews and Stanley have been Ravens for years. Flowers and Hamilton represent the younger core. Moore represents special teams. Hendrickson and Campbell show that leadership is not determined strictly by how long somebody has been in Baltimore.

And Jackson being formally recognized as one of the permanent captains feels overdue.

The Ravens have been his team on the field for years. In 2026, they are making that responsibility official.

After an 8-9 season, a coaching change and one of the most consequential offseasons Baltimore has experienced in years, the Ravens have plenty of talent. The larger question is whether Minter can get that talent pulling in the same direction.

His first Ravens leadership group gives him a pretty strong group of players to help make that happen.

Baltimore opens the 2026 regular season Sept. 13 at Indianapolis before returning to M&T Bank Stadium for its home opener against New Orleans on Sept. 20.