The Minnesota Vikings have named their captains ahead of the 2026 season, and once again the team will carry eight into the year. Minnesota selected four on offense, three on defense, and one on special teams.

The offensive captains are quarterback Kyler Murray, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, running back Aaron Jones, and right tackle Brian O’Neil.

The defensive captains are safety Josh Metellus, edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, and linebacker Blake Cashman.

Long snapper Andrew DePaola is the lone special teams captain representative.

Minnesota Vikings have three new captains

Of the eight captains, three are new to the role in Minnesota for 2026. Murray was a multi-year captain for the Arizona Cardinals, but this is his first season with the Vikings. In each of Kevin O’Connell’s five seasons with the franchise, the starting quarterback has been a captain. Last year it was J.J. McCarthy, the year before Sam Darnold, and the first two years were Kirk Cousins.

Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman were both voted first-time captains this year, which is quite the honor. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise, though. They are going into their third year with the Vikings and are the longest-tenured players in each of their position groups.

Of the Vikings’ captains, the longest-tenured ones are Metellus and O’Neil. Metellus is entering his fifth season as a captain. He was one of the special teams captains in his first season and has been a stalwart on the defensive side of the football since transitioning to a starting role.

O’Neil is entering his sixth consecutive season as a captain. That shouldn’t be much of a surprise, either. He is entering his ninth season with the Vikings and has been one of the biggest mainstays over the course of his tenure in Minnesota.

No longer captains are edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who is now with the Philadelphia Eagles; McCarthy, who will likely be the third-string quarterback this season; and safety Harrison Smith, who is still pondering retirement and remains a free agent.