For the first time in Kevin Stefanski's head coaching tenure, the Browns will have five seasonal team captains who were voted by teammates.
Myles Garrett, Nick Chubb, Joel Bitonio, Anthony Walker Jr. and Charley Hughlett will all don the "C" jersey patch, represent the Browns on coin tosses and serve as leaders for players in 2022. Each of them were selected via a team vote, but none of them were a surprise in the eyes of Stefanski.
"I think it's a big deal when the team votes and when teammates vote for you," Stefanski said Wednesday. "I think that says a lot. Those guys are all great leaders in their own way and will provide great leadership to this team."
Stefanski in his first two seasons with the Browns elected to choose one player to serve as a weekly captain for each game. It was an opportunity for the team to spotlight someone specific for a multitude of reasons — whether it be extra dedication shown throughout the week or the season, a return from injury or a simple nod to overall leadership the player exemplified.
Stefanski opted to change that this year, but he reminded the team that leadership roles throughout the team don't have to solely rest on those five players.
"I've been on a bunch of teams, and sometimes you have team captains," Stefanski said. "That was a unique year, and it felt like the right thing to do — changing the captains each week. I thought (changing that) was something we should do this year.
"I told the whole team this: You don't need a 'C' on your chest to be a leader. You just don't. I think leadership comes from a lot of areas on your football team, but I do think it says a lot about those players who will represent us for the game. It says a lot about who you are."
