Sam Darnold among Vikings' eight captains for 2024 season

Darnold is a first-time captain for the Vikings this year.

Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell after the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Vikings have announced their eight captains for the 2024 season, including new quarterback Sam Darnold. They've got three captains on offense, three on defense, and two on special teams.

* Sam Darnold
* Justin Jefferson
* Brian O’Neill
* Harrison Smith
* Harrison Phillips
* Josh Metellus
* C.J. Ham
* Andrew DePaola

Head Coach Kevin O'Connell has announced the 2024 #Vikings captains.@andrewdepaola
Sam Darnold@cjham28 @JJettas2 @NoExcuses_23 @brian_oneill_ @horribleharry99 @harrismith22 pic.twitter.com/RxjgBhvojo

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 4, 2024

Jefferson, O'Neill, Metellus, Smith, and Ham are returning captains for the Vikings. Darnold, Phillips, and DePaola are new captains this year, replacing Kirk Cousins, Jordan Hicks, and Danielle Hunter.

It's particularly notable that Darnold, the Vikings' new starting quarterback, is the only captain who wasn't with the team last year. Each of the seven others has been around since the start of the Kevin O'Connell era in 2022. Smith (2012), Ham (2016), and O'Neill (2018) are the Vikings' three longest-tenured players.

The Vikings also unveiled the Jim Marshall Legacy Display near the locker room at their TCO Performance Center facility, honoring each year's captains. Marshall, who is one of the greatest players in franchise history, was a captain for 14 consecutive seasons from 1966 to 1979. The display will be updated every year.

The #Vikings have unveiled the Jim Marshall Legacy Display honoring each year's team captains.

Marshall was a team captain in Minnesota for 14 consecutive seasons.

📰: https://t.co/pdjTy3qM3l https://t.co/QlCW1WEfMd pic.twitter.com/eTgC9VOIYX

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 4, 2024

"It was really important as we get ready to announce this year's captains to find a way to honor the greatest captain in the history of our organization, Jim Marshall, a 14-time captain," O'Connell said, via Vikings.com.

"Nobody led a football team like Jim did, led this team and this organization to so much success during his career here, meant so much to so many Vikings fans, Coach Bud Grant, to everyone here at our organization. We thought, 'What better way to honor Jim and what we believe to be his Hall of Fame career not only as a player but as the genuine example we have all our captains strive to be like here at the Minnesota Vikings?'"