The Los Angeles Rams have announced their six captains for the 2018 NFL season: Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Andrew Whitworth, Michael Brockers, Aqib Talib, and Johnny Hekker.
Todd Gurley returns as a Rams captain for the third straight season. Gurley is coming off the best year of his career, lighting up the league last season en route to winning the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. The Rams voted him a captain even after his abysmal 2016 season, so there was never any doubt Gurley would return as a captain.
Veteran offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth joins Gurley as a returning captain on the offensive side of the ball. Whitworth helped turn the Rams offense around last season after a decade of mediocrity and solidified the offensive line as one of the best in the league.
Third-year quarterback Jared Goff earns the first ‘C’ patch of his career. After a rough rookie season, Goff rebounded in a big way under head coach Sean McVay, finishing in the top 10 in both passing yards and passing touchdowns in 2017. The 2016 No. 1 overall pick will be crucial in leading the Rams on a deep playoff run this season.
Michael Brockers comes as a pleasant addition to the captains group. With the departure of Robert Quinn, Brockers is the longest tenured Ram on the defensive side of the ball and has been a force up front. The seven-year veteran will enter 2018 as a first time captain.
Aqib Talib may be a newcomer, but it should come as no surprise to see him on this list. The veteran cornerback quickly earned the respect of his teammate and will be one of the loudest voices on the new look Rams defense. Talib’s leadership will be vital this season.
Johnny Hekker returns as the Rams special teams captain for a fifth straight season. The five time All-Pro returns to lead the most dangerous special teams group in the league. He’s the Rams’ longest tenured captain.
The Rams return a total of three captains from last season. All three 2017 defensive captains – Trumaine Johnson, Connor Barwin, and Alec Ogletree – are no longer with the team.
The Los Angeles Rams begin their quest for the playoffs this Monday night in Oakland when they open the season against the Raiders.
Steve Rebeiro is a staff writer and host of the Butting Heads podcast for Rams Talk. He is an alumni of Marquette University. For more of his opinions, follow him on Twitter here.
