Kyler Murray among 8 Minnesota Vikings captains for 2026 season
Vikings GM on J.J. McCarthy: 'His story is not written'
Minnesota Vikings General Manager Nolan Teasley spoke with reporters on Wednesday at TCO Performance Center about the 53-man roster. Teasley also spoke about J.J. McCarthy's health, and his future in Minnesota.
EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - As is tradition for the Minnesota Vikings, the team on Thursday announced its captains for the 2026 season.
Vikings 2026 captains
What we know:
The Vikings named four offensive captains, three defensive captains and one special teams captain. The group includes three who are captains for the first time. Every player on the roster voted for the team’s captains.
Vikings offensive captains: Kyler Murray, Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones, Brian O’Neill
Justin Jefferson and Brian O’Neill return as Vikings’ captains. Kyler Murray is a captain for the first time in his first season at Minnesota. He had been a captain for the Arizona Cardinals from 2020-25.
Vikings defensive captains: Josh Metellus, Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman
Josh Metellus returns as a defensive captain, while Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman are captains for the first time. Cashman had 144 tackles last season despite missing four games, and had 10 straight games with at least nine tackles. Since joining the Vikings in 2024, Van Ginkel has recorded 133 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and two defensive touchdowns.
Vikings special teams captain: Andrew DePaola
Long snapper Andrew DePaola is a captain for the third straight season. He earned his third straight Pro Bowl pick after the 2024 season, and has been selected All-Pro four straight seasons.
Vikings GM speaks on 53-man roster
Why you should care:
Earlier this week, Vikings GM Nolan Teasley spoke about putting his first 53-man roster together. Much of the talk was about J.J. McCarthy being the back-up to Murray. McCarthy was a captain last year for the Vikings, and that nod now goes to Murray.
Teasley is still confident McCarthy can have a bright future.
"He’s really talented, I think I said that from the jump. He was picked in the first round for a reason. He has the hardest job in sport, he’s only started 10 games and his story is not written."
What's next:
The Vikings open the 2026 regular season on Sunday, Sept. 13, hosting the Green Bay Packers at 3:25 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium.