Before their first game this week, the Bengals have revealed which players will be their captains for the upcoming season.
The Bengals have named their captains for the 2018 season, and the players should come as no surprise. The team chose six players, who are Andy Dalton, AJ Green, Michael Johnson, Shawn Williams, Vincent Rey, and Clayton Fejedelem. Surprisingly, stud defenders Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins are not captains, but these six should be excellent choices for captaincy.
Dalton and Green are the two biggest shoo-ins for captains, as they’ve been pillars of the team since 2011. They were the first and second round picks of the team that season, leading the Bengals to 5 playoff appearances since then. Both have commanded the respect of the team in their 7 seasons in Cincinnati, and they should lead the resurgence of this offense.
Williams and Rey are both long tenured Bengals as well. Williams was a third round pick in 2013 and Rey was an undrafted free agent in 2010. Williams has been a centerpiece of this defense the last half decade, and now steps into a leadership role on the secondary with so many young players around him. Rey isn’t a dominant force on the field, but he has certainly had a positive impact on this team off the field.
Fejedelem is certainly an interesting choice for captaincy, since he hasn’t been in Cincinnati that long. He was a seventh round pick in 2016, so he’s entering just his third season. Although he has been a backup for that time, his physical play on special teams has endeared him to his teammates.
Johnson is the other interesting choice for captain on this team. Although he has played almost 8 seasons in Cincinnati, Johnson was one of the Bengals’ cuts on roster cut day. This shows just how much respect his teammates have for him. The Bengals also have immense trust in Johnson, which is why they were able to cut and resign him. All of that trust and respect will make Johnson an excellent captain this season.