The Chicago Bears only had four team captains last year. Two have been repeated as captains this year. Six more have been added to lead the Bears’ 2024 campaign. Only one of those captains to be added was a rookie known as Superman. The list includes four players from each side of the ball and no special teamers. Let’s get to know each captain and highlight what their leadership brings.
The Captains on Offense
Will he remain Superman, or will he become Captain America? Not surprisingly – rookie QB Caleb Williams was named captain. Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 as a sophomore for the USC Trojans. That season, he threw the ball 500 times for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns. He completed 66.6% of his passes and only threw five interceptions. In addition, he rushed for 382 yards and ten touchdowns. Williams is one of only six total sophomores of all time to win the Heisman Trophy. The following year, Williams regressed statistically, but he played in two fewer games and only threw 388 times. He did increase his completion percentage to 68.6.
The wide receiver who made the list is also a repeat captain from last year, D.J. Moore. Several weeks ago, Moore was called off the practice field to go to the General Manager’s office. In the office, the Bears rewarded Moore with a four-year contract extension worth $110,000,000. The deal included a $20,000,000 signing bonus, $81,525,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $27,500,000. This was accomplished quietly by the two sides, without much media attention until it appeared on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” Moore took his daughters to the Museum of Ice Cream to celebrate.
A Pair Of Tight Ends
Two tight ends made the list. This could be considered a surprise because, typically, there is representation from each position group instead of dual representation from one. Maybe the least surprising of the two is TE Cole Kmet, who grew up in Lake Barrington, a Chicago suburb, and played for Notre Dame – making him a bit of a hometown success story. Kmet is entering his 5th season with the Bears, coming off his best statistical year, where he had 73 receptions for 719 yards and six touchdowns. Kmet is incredibly durable, starting in all 17 games in the past three seasons.
Cole Kmet is reliable, but the other TE to be named captain this season has been in the NFL since 2006. He could be considered more of an offensive lineman because he’s more known for his blocking ability rather than being more of a pass catcher. He is entering his second season with Chicago and his 19th consecutive NFL season. He has played in 268 regular season NFL games, catching 436 balls for over 5100 yards and 40 touchdowns. He is none other than NFL ironman, TE Marcedes Lewis. Old enough to be some of his teammates’ father, Lewis will play a huge leadership role in mentoring the young padawans.
Bears’ Linebacker Captains
Two linebackers made the list. One of them was also a team captain last season, Tremaine Edmunds. Spending his first five seasons in Buffalo, Edmunds came to Chicago last year, where he had 113 total tackles and a career-high four interceptions. Looking to build on that resume as a captain again this year, the 26-year-old Tremaine Edmunds is the last of three brothers still playing on an active roster in the NFL. Coming from professional football stock, Tremaine’s dad, Ferrell Edmunds, played seven seasons as a TE in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks.
Tremaine is the youngest of three brothers who made it to the NFL. His oldest brother Trey, now out of the league, played running back for five seasons with the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers, seeing playing time in 37 games total. Middle brother Terrell spent his first five seasons as the starting strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last year, Terrell started the season as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles before the trade that sent him to Tennessee and Kevin Byard III from Tenessee to Philly in the middle of the season. Currently, Tremaine’s brother Terrell is on the practice squad for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The second linebacker to make captain is T.J. Edwards. After spending his first four seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, Edwards agreed to terms with Chicago in the 2023 offseason. During his inaugural campaign with the Bears, Edwards amassed 155 combined tackles and career highs in interceptions with three and sacks with 2.5. Edwards has played in all 17 games in the past two seasons, proving durability and toughness at one of the game’s hardest-hitting positions. Like Kmet, Edwards grew up in a Chicago suburb, Lake Villa, IL. Edwards played his college ball for the Wisconsin Badgers and went undrafted in 2019, signing with the Eagles as an UDFA.
Chicago’s Defensive Back Captains
First-year safety for the Bears, Kevin Byard III (KB3), has been named a captain after agreeing to terms with the Chicago this offseason. Known as a ball hawk with 28 career interceptions for the Titans and Eagles – KB3 brings a smart, fast, and hard-hitting style to the Bears’ D. He played his college ball for the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, where he still holds a school record for career interceptions with 19. KB3 graduated from Middle Tennessee in May 2015 with a degree in liberal studies and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft.
Heading into his 5th season with Chicago, Cornerback Jaylon Johnson is a first-time captain. Last season he earned second-team all-pro honors from the AP, was selected to his first Pro Bowl, and was widely regarded as a shutdown corner. However, he was not voted to the NFL’s list of Top 100 Players of 2024, likely putting a chip on his shoulder for the season ahead. Johnson was drafted by the Bears in 2020 as the 50th overall pick out of The University of Utah. The 25-year-old Johnson grew up in Fresno, California, attending Central Highschool, where he played football and basketball.
Final Thoughts
You can see why the Bears needed eight captains this year. It’s quite an impressive list of young men chosen to lead their team by coaches and teammates. It is a bit concerning, though, that two of the position groups with no representation as captains are two of the most suspect groups on the team heading into the season: the offensive and defensive line.
Typically, there is a standout leader from each side of the line. Though that doesn’t always equate to being named a captain, it is how the rest of the team views their leadership. Will the offensive line be good enough to keep Captain America – Caleb Williams upright? Will the defensive line have enough depth to sustain success? These questions and more will be answered soon enough. Stay tuned.
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