Seattle Seahawks Make Change to Captain Selection Process

The Seattle Seahawks previously selected their captains for the entire season, but that won't be the case this year.

Dec 4, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) celebrates with quarterback Geno Smith (7) and wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) after a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The change from Pete Carroll to Mike Macdonald as the Seattle Seahawks head coach inevitably meant big changes were on the way. Not just on the field, but also how the team runs its day-to-day operations.

To add another change to the list: The team will now select captains on a week-to-week basis rather than for the entire season, as was the case under Carroll. Macdonald announced the change after Thursday's practice.

"We will do game captains week by week," Macdonald said. "So you'll see a bunch of different guys, just like we did in the preseason."

This is a practice carried over from the Baltimore Ravens, where Macdonald previously served as defensive coordinator for the past two seasons. He's already brought several such practices with him, most notably wearing game jerseys during training camp.

Last season, the Seahawks had six total captains: Geno Smith and Tyler Lockett on offense, Bobby Wagner and Quandre Diggs on defense and Nick Bellore and Jason Myers on special teams. Half of those players — namely Wagner, Diggs and Bellore — are no longer with the team.

With all the turnover, particularly on defense, this approach allows many new players to gain valuable leadership experience. It also allows players to wear the “C” on their jersey for games that are especially meaningful to them. For instance, defensive end Dre'Mont Jones and tight end Noah Fant could both be captains when they face the Denver Broncos, their former team, in Week 1.

Macdonald is certainly putting his own stamp on the Seahaks, and his fresh perspective could end up paying dividends.