The Chicago Bears have announced their 2026 team captains ahead of a highly anticipated Week 1, and the selections reveal plenty about the leadership identity head coach Ben Johnson wants this roster to carry into the regular season.

Quarterback Caleb Williams, left guard Joe Thuney, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, linebacker T.J. Edwards, and kicker Cairo Santos earned the honor as voted on entirely by their teammates.

Ben Johnson has made it a point since arriving in Chicago that team captains will be selected solely by the players. The Bears view themselves as a player-led team, and that philosophy makes the selection process significant. And these are the five players the locker room identified as its top leaders heading into the 2026 season.

QB Caleb Williams

Williams is now a three-time team captain in Chicago, but he has earned this honor going into Year 3 in a way that feels different from his previous two seasons. Johnson talked about it last week, noting the maturity difference he’s seen out of Williams from last year to this year. The way Williams has handled the offense, run things on the field, and interacted with his teammates has all taken a major step forward.

“I’ve seen a very composed person every time he steps into the building,” Johnson said last week. “This guy might’ve had a little bit of goofy to him a year ago, and I use that term with love. Now, I see a more serious player and intent every time I’m around him. His teammates feel that as well.”

What stands out even more is Williams’ work outside of practice. Williams led multiple throwing sessions throughout the entire offseason with the majority of his pass catchers and held bonding sessions with other young players, whether it was just hanging out or getting in extra reps. Since returning for training camp, it has been strictly business from Williams on the field. This guy has been locked in.

“He’s getting to the practice field early. He’s making sure his part is taken care of, he’s warmed up, he’s ready to go,” Johnson added. “He stays after with the guys. He’s taking a lot of pride in his approach right now, and it trickles down to everyone around him. It’s a great thing. He continues to grow up, and he’s going to be a huge leader for us this year.”

LG Joe Thuney

Thuney, a first-team All-Pro selection last season and the reigning NFL Protector of the Year, is a team captain for the second consecutive year with the Bears. The most notable statement about Thuney’s leadership came from center Garrett Bradbury, who played college ball at N.C. State alongside Thuney. Now reunited in Chicago, Bradbury has spoken about the difference he’s seen in his former college teammate.

“He’s just a special guy, he’s a pro, he handles everything the right way,” Bradbury said of Thuney. “He’s a good leader. He works his butt off. He’s as consistent as they come.”

Consistency is always the go-to word when people talk about this guy. Even at this stage of his career, Thuney is still playing at an elite level and shows no signs of slowing down.

“It’s awesome, especially a guy like that, a decorated veteran, a great guy on and off the field,” right guard Jonah Jackson said. “The blueprint to what you want as not just an interior lineman, but an offensive lineman in general.”

DT Grady Jarrett

Again, some fans might question Jarrett’s captaincy, but the Bears brought him in last year for a reason. Chicago paid a significant amount of money to acquire Jarrett after he was released by the Atlanta Falcons, because they wanted a player with over a decade of NFL experience that could lead this defensive line.

“He’s huge,” defensive end Montez Sweat said back in January. “Grady is like the glue to everything. Besides what he does on the field physically, he gets us lined up, he sets the games for us. He’s just an amazing leader for us… Grady has the most playoff experience on the line. He’s been there and done it. He understands what it looks like and what it takes. We just respect him as a leader and trust his leadership.”

What has impressed me most about Jarrett this year is the way he’s connected with the young players on the interior defensive front. The Bears made a significant change to that group by trading Gervon Dexter Sr. ahead of roster cuts, and Jarrett has been an invaluable resource for the two rookies who made the 53-man roster in Jordan van den Berg and Jayden Loving.

The way those young players have talked about Jarrett, and the way Jarrett has spoken about them in return, shows the kind of leader and role model he is for the next generation.

LB T.J. Edwards

The second defensive captain was going to be a toss up in my eyes between cornerback Jaylon Johnson and linebacker T.J. Edwards with Edwards ultimately getting the nod. And I believe he’s just as deserving.

First and foremost, Edwards made a ridiculous return from a fractured fibula this offseason and worked his tail off to get back on the field with his teammates this summer. Players recognize things like that. Not only that, but he’s a leader on the field as well with his quality of play.

“I know what I’m capable of,” Edwards said earlier this year. “I know the player I am and what I bring to a team. So really, the focus on me is just being the best teammate I can be when I get back on the field doing what I do.”

K Cairo Santos

Santos is the most accurate kicker in Bears history, and Johnson has stuck his neck out for him time and again, even when missed field goals popped up last season.

The leadership Santos brings might not always be visible to the fans, but the players see it in practice every day. He’s earned this honor again for a good reason.

“The benefits of having a guy like that is just having a guy that’s dialed in all the time, that knows who he is, that knows what he needs to get done,” special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. “And he’s also a value and an asset, a leader for everybody else, not only in the special teams’ room but on the team as well. So, I’ve been blessed to be around a lot of good kickers and he’s definitely one of them.”