Saints Name Nine Team Captains for 2026 Season

Overview

• The Saints, which announced the captains on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, designated a nine-player group to lead the team into the regular-season opener.
• On offense the captains are quarterback Tyler Shough, center Erik McCoy and guard David Edwards, with Shough established as the clear starting QB and McCoy providing continuity on the offensive line.
• The defensive captains are defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Chase Young, linebacker Kaden Elliss and safety Justin Reid, and Elliss is expected to fill the leadership role left by Demario Davis and act as a defensive play-caller.
• Special teams leadership falls to long snapper Zach Wood and linebacker Chris Rumph II, with Wood anchoring snapping duties and Rumph serving as an emotional voice for the units.
• Naming Edwards as the only newcomer to the group signals quick trust in a newly signed left guard and formalizes who will handle in-game communication and unit responsibility ahead of the Sept. 13 game at Detroit.