The Bengals have announced their captains for the 2025 season:
QB, Joe Burrow
C, Ted Karras
OT, Orlando Brown
WR, Ja’Marr Chase
LB, Logan Wilson
DT, BJ Hill
DE, Trey Hendrickson
Burrow has been a team captain for the entirety of his career, since being drafted by the Bengals in 2020. He is an obvious one, as is Karras, who commands the offensive line. Brown also makes sense as a returning captain. The veteran has long been regarded as a leader in the room.
Chase is the new one of the group, getting voted a captain for the first time in his career. He wasn’t necessarily an obvious choice, given that the team has an abundance of veteran leaders. However, his rise to stardom has also seen him become a bigger leader, both on and off the field. He puts in the work, and is someone who sets the example for the younger players. WR coach Troy Walters challenged him to also be more vocal this season, which is something that Chase made sure to do during training camp.
On the defensive side, there aren’t any surprises. Wilson wears the headset and makes the calls, while Hill is one of the most vocal players on the team. Hendrickson isn’t necessarily quite as vocal as Hill, but even during his hold-in, we saw him working on technique with guys like Shemar Stewart and Joseph Ossai. His captaincy was also well deserved.
The overall layout is a little different this year. In past seasons, there have been two or three captains for the offence, defence, and special teams. This year, they have four on offence and three on defence, with no direct special teams representation. That being said, a captain badge is not required for someone to lead, and a past captain, like Evan McPherson, will certainly continue to do so.
