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Last updated: Dec 15, 2022
On most teams, the quarterback is considered the captain of the team. This is not true for all teams, but the quarterback position is most often dubbed the leader of a football team. The quarterback controls and runs the offensive unit, so it is vital that they are very skilled and familiar with the game and rules of football as a whole. Naturally, it makes sense that the playmaker is considered the team captain.
Table of Contents
- Role as Captain
- What Positions Can Be Captains in Football?
- What Do Football Captains Do?
- FAQ
Role as Captain
Most often, the quarterback is considered the most valuable position on a team and in football as a whole. They can see the entire field and control what direction the game goes.Other traditional roles of the captain include being a representative of the team to the other team and officials and being the spokesperson during the coin toss.Notable current NFL quarterbacks include Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Jared Goff, and Cam Newton.
On the football field, any player can be the captain. It is most common for the quarterback to be the captain because they hold a role that is central to every offensive play on the field. NFL teams can have up to six captains, so other players will also fulfill the role of captain.On defense, the middle linebacker is often the captain, again because they are central to the play.
What Do Football Captains Do?
Football captains have several responsibilities. These include:
- Coin Toss Procedures
- Choice on Penalty Options
- Team Representative
- Leader on the Field
FAQ
How many captains are on an NFL team?
There are up to six captains on an NFL team.However, this rule is not always enforced, and some teams have named seven captains. Because of injuries, large rosters, and multiple squads, it is advantageous to have multiple captains on a football team. The naming of players as captain is also an honorary leadership distinction, leading teams to use multiple captains.
Do football captains wear a patch?
In the NFL, team captains do wear patches to identify them as captains. These patches are known as “C patches” because they consist of a large capital “C” that is sewn onto the player’s jersey over the left or right breast.The C patch is in the team’s colors, and beneath the letter C, it will have a certain number of gold stars.The number of stars corresponds to the number of years the player has served as one of their team’s captains.
