Story perspectives

Falcons name five captains, no quarterback selected

9/4/2026

Summary

Falcons Name Captains

The Atlanta Falcons named five captains for the 2026 season.
Bijan Robinson, Chris Lindstrom, Jessie Bates III, Divine Deablo and Nick Folk were selected as captains.
Robinson, Deablo and Folk are first-time captains while Lindstrom reaches his third and Bates his fourth.
Robinson, 24, becomes the youngest Falcons captain since A.J. Terrell in 2022.
No quarterback was named captain, leaving the Week 1 starter decision unresolved.

Summary

Tagovailoa Loses Lead

Tua Tagovailoa lost a big-time lead in the Falcons’ quarterback competition, per Ian Rapoport.
He signed a one-year deal in March after being released by the Dolphins.
Michael Penix Jr. was cleared to practice on Aug. 22 after rehabbing a torn ACL.
Tagovailoa threw for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 14 games last season.

History

Historical Context

In 2002, the New England Patriots instituted a five-captain leadership group, a pioneering NFL move that helped guide Boston to a 14-2 record. Coach Bill Belichick chose Tom Brady, Richard Seymour, Troy Brown, Mike Vrabel, and a rookie, creating five captains who amassed 3,000 combined career passing yards. The 2026 Atlanta Falcons echoed that approach, naming Bijan Robinson, Chris Lindstrom, Jessie Bates III, Divine Deablo, Nick Folk captains while quarterback role stayed vacant. This recurrence suggests NFL franchises will increasingly use multi-captain frameworks to shape locker-room dynamics, potentially influencing future quarterback contract negotiations league-wide.

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Falcons Name Captains

The Atlanta Falcons named five captains for the 2026 season.
Bijan Robinson, Chris Lindstrom, Jessie Bates III, Divine Deablo and Nick Folk were selected as captains.
Robinson, Deablo and Folk are first-time captains while Lindstrom reaches his third and Bates his fourth.
Robinson, 24, becomes the youngest Falcons captain since A.J. Terrell in 2022.
No quarterback was named captain, leaving the Week 1 starter decision unresolved.

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