The New England Patriots and their fans knew that an undertaking was set to take place this offseason. Considering the Jerod Mayo experiment failed miserably in 2024, new head coach Mike Vrabel was bound to make some serious changes.
That is exactly what he and general manager Eliot Wolf did this offseason. This is a completely new-look Patriots team thanks to an abundance of moves during the NFL Draft, free agency and more recently, the waiver wire.
As a result, none of New England's six team captains from the 2024 NFL season remain with the team, as safety Jabrill Peppers was the final domino to fall with his surprise release last week. On Monday, Vrabel announced a new set of six captains, five of whom were first-timers.
Patriots announce six new team captains for 2025 season
The Patriots' six captains for the 2025 NFL season are second-year quarterback Drake Maye, veteran tight end Hunter Henry, cornerback Marcus Jones, core special teamer Brenden Schooler and free agency additions Robert Spillane and Harold Landry III.
The leaders 🫡 pic.twitter.com/3p2fjomqhY
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 1, 2025
Obviously, none of these six were captains last season under Mayo. Five of them are first-time captains for the Patriots, with the exception being Henry, who earned this honor in 2023 under Bill Belichick.
Landry III was the centerpiece of Vrabel's defenses with the Tennessee Titans, so there is a level of trust there already. Spillane was also a two-time captain in his two-year tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023 and 2024.
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Jones and Schooler have been staples for the Patriots since coming to New England before the 2022 season, and they have finally been rewarded with this coveted honor. Franchise quarterback Drake Maye has also seemingly earned the trust of his teammates, even if the starter under center is typically a captain anyway.
The first test of New England's new era and leadership will be on Sunday against the Raiders, whom the Patriots have no shortage of connections to. This will be a revenge game for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, as well as players like Spillane, K'Lavon Chaisson and Mack Hollins.
It will be weird knowing that Tom Brady, now a minority owner in Las Vegas, will be on the other sideline. But with this group of six captains leading the way in Vrabel's first game back leading New England, it should be an electric season opener at Gillette Stadium.