Seahawks Name Darnold, Jones IV Among Four Captains for Season Opener Against Patriots

The Seattle Seahawks have unveiled their team captains for the opening week of the NFL season, continuing the franchise’s distinctive practice of rotating leadership honors on a weekly basis rather than designating season-long captains as most clubs do.

Four players will wear the captain’s role when Seattle hosts New England: quarterback Sam Darnold, linebacker Ernest Jones IV, fullback Brady Russell, and defensive lineman Leonard Williams. The club revealed the selections Monday evening through its official social media channels.

The matchup carries added historical weight. The reigning Super Bowl champion traditionally opens the season in a nationally televised standalone game, and this year’s kickoff will mark the first Super Bowl rematch in the league’s showcase opener in a decade. Kickoff is set for 5:20 pm local time at Lumen Field, with coverage airing nationally on NBC.

NBC’s broadcast role ties the game to broader media-industry business. NBC is part of Comcast Corporation (CMCSA), the media and technology conglomerate whose portfolio spans connectivity, media, studios, and theme parks. Comcast shares traded at $26.49 in recent trading, down 0.64% from a prior close of $26.66, with the company’s market capitalization at roughly $94.4 billion. Prime-time NFL windows remain among the most valuable properties in television, drawing the largest audiences available to broadcast networks and anchoring advertising demand each fall.

For Seattle, the weekly captain model reflects an organizational philosophy that leadership contributions can shift game to game. Darnold’s selection highlights his standing under center heading into his first regular-season week with the franchise, while Jones IV and Williams anchor the defense at the second and front levels. Russell’s recognition gives the special teams and offensive supporting roles a seat at the leadership table as well.

The opener also sets the tone for a season in which weekly captain announcements will continue as a running storyline for the club, with the group changing alongside each opponent and game circumstance.

What to watch

• The Seahawks’ captain group for Week 2, which the team is expected to announce through its official channels following the opener.
• National ratings for the NBC broadcast, given the Super Bowl-rematch framing of the standalone kickoff window.
• Upcoming quarterly results from Comcast (CMCSA), which will detail advertising performance across NBC’s sports programming lineup.
• Whether Seattle’s rotational leadership approach continues throughout the 2026 regular season.

Source: original release