The Buffalo Bills have set their leadership group for the 2026 season, and this year’s captaincy comes with a little more spread across the roster. Instead of just two names at the top, Buffalo is rolling with six captains, giving the offense, defense and special teams two representatives apiece.
Josh Allen and Terrel Bernard are back in familiar territory after serving as the team’s only named captains last season. Allen keeps his spot as one of the offense’s leaders, and this marks the eighth time he’ll wear the captain’s “C” for Buffalo. Bernard returns on the defensive side, where he’ll be joined by a new addition in Bradley Chubb.
Chubb, who signed with the Bills as a free agent this past spring, steps into an official leadership role right away. Alongside Bernard, he gives Buffalo two captains on defense.
The other offensive captain is tight end Dawson Knox, who is being named a captain for the first time in his seven-year NFL career. That gives the Bills a second voice on offense next to Allen.
Special teams also gets two captains of its own. Long snapper Reid Ferguson, Buffalo’s longest-tenured player, is back in the role for the third time in his career. He’s joined by defensive back Sam Franklin Jr., whose work on special teams coverage helped earn him the honor.
In all, Bernard and Ferguson are each earning the captain’s “C” for the third time, while Allen continues to add to one of the longest captaincy runs on the roster.
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James Cook looms as a key answer because the Bills may need more than protection schemes and quick throws to keep Houston honest. If the Texans can create disruption without overcommitting, Buffalo will have to lean on the run game to slow the rush and open up space for everything else. It is the sort of matchup detail that can quietly decide an opener, especially against a defense that has already shown it can make life uncomfortable without sending the house. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Tomlin Just Created A Bills What-If Fans Will Notice
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Bills Depth Chart Settles One Key Battle Before Week 1
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For a team still finalizing roles around the edges, the chart matters because it hints at how Buffalo wants to open the season without waiting for game-day guesswork to sort things out. The biggest value may be in what it settles for now and what it leaves open for later, especially with the offense, return game and secondary all carrying spots that could still change once the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]