5 Colts players named team captains for 2026 NFL season

Ahead of Week 1, the Indianapolis Colts have announced their team captains for the 2026 season.

The captains were voted on by the Colts players and include DeForest Buckner, Quenton Nelson, Daniel Jones, Cam Bynum, and Jonathan Taylor.

Although Buckner was limited to only 10 games in 2025, when on the field, he remained highly effective, ranking 24th among defensive tackles in pass rush win rate and 14th in PFF's run stop rate metric. For the Colts' defense to be at its best, Buckner has to be on the field.

About to enter his ninth NFL season, Nelson continues to play at an extremely high level. Among all guards this season, Nelson ranked fourth in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking efficiency and fourth in run-blocking grade. He is an eight-time Pro Bowler and has made six All-Pro teams in his career.

Through 10 games last season, Jones was one of the most productive quarterbacks in football, while the Colts' offense was among the NFL's highest-scoring units. Since returning from injury, Jones has seemingly hit the ground running this summer.

Bynum would log four interceptions and three pass breakups last season. Quarterbacks had a passer rating of just 66.3 when targeting him. He was also a very sound tackler, making 79 of his 84 attempts, which made him a stout run defender from the safety position.

Taylor is a three-time Pro Bowler and made one All-Pro team. He played in 13 games in 2024 and all 17 games last season, rushing for 1,431 yards and 1,585 yards, respectively, as one of the more productive backs in football each year.