With the regular season set to kick off in just over a week, the Patriots are preparing for their Super Bowl rematch against the Seahawks in a very hostile environment in Seattle. Not only will it be the unveiling of their latest banner, but the 12s are also one of the loudest fan bases in all of the NFL, so they'll surely make the night difficult for the Patriots.
Before getting to that point, however, there are a few things New England still needs to do, one of which is announcing their captains for the 2026 season.
The players voted, and the team announced on their social media on Tuesday the six players who will rep the captain patch on their jerseys this fall: Kevin Byard III, Hunter Henry, Marcus Jones, Drake Maye, Morgan Moses, and Robert Spillane.
Noticeably absent: Christian Gonzalez.
The 2026 Patriots Captains 🫡 pic.twitter.com/s2AMrgsbx7
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 1, 2026
Maybe it's nothing, maybe it is. But it's hard not to notice that, during an offseason focused on a looming contract extension, the cornerback wasn't awarded the ultimate honor by his teammates, and that certainly raises concerns about what it might mean.
Patriots name their captains for the upcoming season with a few surprises
Looking at the group that will represent the team in 2026 tells you a lot about what their identity will be in a year when they hope to break the trend of a down year after a Super Bowl loss the season before.
Byard being named a captain in his first season is notable, but also unsurprising. He is a seasoned veteran coming off perhaps the best year of his career and can be a voice on the defense in what is a quieter group around him.
That is particularly true with Gonzalez, who has been openly tested by Mike Vrabel to become more vocal so he can earn the captain label in the near future. That won't happen this season, but it shouldn't be too far off once he receives his extension.
Henry will serve as a captain for the fourth year in a row since joining the team in free agency during the 2021 spending spree, proving further just how valuable he is to the offense and the team. He has become a staple of New England, and it's clear his teammates view him the same way.
Jones will be another voice on defense, and maybe even special teams, as he continues to be one of their most productive players in the group. At the same time, he's also impressive in the secondary, so his versatility makes him a great leader for this team.
Maye, of course, is going into his second season as captain, and now that he has the respect and admiration of his teammates, they want to make sure the rest of the league knows he is a legitimate competitor in this league, on and off the field.
Moses is a tremendous choice to represent the offense, too, as one of the team's most seasoned veterans. His teammates and the fanbase love him, and he has become a mentor to an otherwise young and inexperienced offensive line, which will be invaluable with the group he'll be working with this fall.
Lastly, there's Spillane, who came out swinging at the start of his first season with the Patriots in 2025. Although the rest of the way was a bit bumpy, he is an instant lead-by-example player, and that is exactly what the defense needs.
Where does that leave Gonzalez?
It's hard to say why he wasn't voted captain, but maybe he didn't get enough votes, or maybe it's the ongoing standoff over his contract. We'll never know, and maybe it's not something to be too concerned about.
But it does seem noteworthy at this stage of the offseason and hopefully, it'll prove to mean absolutely nothing in the coming days when an extension is finally announced.
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