Examining the standout qualities of every Eagles player serving as a captain for the first time.
We are near the kickoff of Week 1, and we’ve been diligent in checking off the necessary boxes along the way. The Philadelphia Eagles have announced their 53-man roster. Then, they tinkered with it some and pieced together their practice squad.
Roster construction is ever-flowing and continual. Ahead of the final weekend before the regular season starts, another box was checked. Eight team captains were announced. They will wear the patch on the right shoulders of their jerseys as we navigate through the 2025-26 campaign.
While we can all think of a couple of other guys whom we’d like to see receive the honor, there’s a limit on the number of players who can be chosen. These are eight solid choices, though. For three of them, this is the first time they’ve been named captains on this Eagles squad.
Reed Blankenship, safety
One word comes to mind whenever Reed Blankenship is brought up: perseverance. Here’s another that you might like: unselfishness.
Rarely do the Eagles celebrate harder than when Blakenship forces a turnover. He fires everyone up. He helps everyone line up. From day one, he took Cooper DeJean under his wing. They’ve been nearly inseparable ever since.
Take note. This is a former undrafted rookie free agent who worked his butt off and is now a team captain. Anything is possible. Let’s hope the Eagles pay this guy sooner rather than later.
Zack Baun, linebacker
Zack Baun is the perfect blend of edge and humility. Few Eagles celebrate the success of others harder. Just look at how he cheered Cooper DeJean on as he returned a pick for six or how he congratulated Jalen Carter for wrecking Matt Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams‘ final drive in the Divisional Round.
All Baun needed was the right coach. He’s gone from special teamer and part-time edge rusher to All-Pro linebacker. He’s always smiling. He’s always pushing his brothers. He’s someone guys would run through a wall for.
Saquon Barkley, running back
Seeing all of the NFL Films clips where Saquon Barkley was mic’d up makes it easy to see why this has happened. He isn’t just the best running back on Planet Earth. He possesses a humility not often seen in those who are less talented.
We could mention the long-gainers that seemingly came weekly. It’s easy to reference his on-field talent or a reverse hurdle that will be replayed forever, but nothing beats seeing his request to “let the young guys eat” or the way he lost his mind when Cooper DeJean housed a pick-six off Patrick Mahomes’ arm.
Make no mistake. Barkley was a captain on this team upon arrival. The patch makes things official.