The Jets have announced six players as season-long captains for the 2026 regular season. The leadership group selected by teammates is represented by QB Geno Smith and RG Joe Tippmann on offense; LB Demario Davis, S Minkah Fitzpatrick and DT Harrison Phillips on defense; and WR-KR Isaiah Williams on special teams.

QB Geno Smith
Close to 10 years after he took his last regular season snap with the Jets, Smith's return to the Green & White has been marked by intentionality.

"It's just his mindset, the way he comes to practice," said offensive coordinator Frank Reich. "He just comes to practice to get better. He just comes to practice every day to get better, and I just think the team feeds off of it. I think he's highly competitive, doesn't want to lose a rep; it's a good thing for our locker room and our guys. He's not the only guy out there. Obviously, we've got a lot of good leaders on offense. I think a lot of good, young leaders, but he's certainly setting the tone."

Smith takes pride in never missing a rep and doing all the little things that it takes to be prepared.

"As a quarterback, it's the toughest job on the team, and just one of the toughest jobs period," said WR Adonai Mitchell. "All eyes are on you and every time I see him – he's working, he's encouraging guys, he's looking for ways to get better. I think that's the best thing about him is he's always looking to get better, he's always looking to communicate, and we as an offense feed off of that."

RG Joe Tippmann
It's been a hell of a run for Tippmann. He signed a contract extension in June, closed on a new house with his family (wife Lydia and 8-month-old son Joseph Jr.) on July 22 and added captain to his title on Wednesday.

"Listen, obviously we signed him because we know what type of player he is, we know what type of leader he is, and type of man he is, and that's one of the reasons why he's here," said HC Aaron Glenn. "And we want to continue to build this team with men like that. So, very unselfish, communicates very well, does a good job of getting along with his teammates, and does a really good job in the locker room. So, I'm happy. I'm happy to have him exactly where he's at."

LB Demario Davis
Davis is no stranger to the center of the huddle. He's a proven leader – previously an eight-time captain for the Saints – and he always speaks with conviction and energy. Davis is beginning his 15th NFL season in his third stint with the Jets. He is the Mike 'backer and will be Glenn's eyes and ears all season.

"Demario, man he's a special guy. Tremendous leader, not just for the Saints all those years, but for the NFL," said QB Geno Smith. "I mean, he's been a model of what an elite top-tier linebacker is supposed to be, not only in terms of his production, but the way that he carries himself off the field."

S Minkah Fitzpatrick
A five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Fitzpatrick is embarking on his 10th NFL season with his third team. Fitpatrick, who was born in Old Bridge, NJ and attended St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City, was in Miami last season with Jets DC Brian Duker and safeties coach Ryan Slowik.

"He has leadership skills that permeate throughout the building largely with just the way he approaches his work every single day, and also has the confidence and the relationship, the connectivity, to be able to pull some guys aside and kind of have some one-on-one conversations," Duker said. "He's not a big rah-rah guy, you guys have kind of seen that already from Mink I'm sure, but just the way he carries himself and the approach that he has every single day wears off on the other guys."

Fitzpatrick is a chess piece in the secondary who will dive into some other games as well.

"Mink, he's kind of like another coach in the room, but he also jokes around and has fun with us as well," said second-year safety Malachi Moore. "Like just the other day he was in there playing four square in the locker room during our little break, so it's good to just see how he still can coach us from that point of view but also still be like a brother and teammate to us as well."

DT Harrison Phillips
The Jets have seven players on the roster who are 30-plus and three of them – Smith (35), Davis (37) and DT Harrison Phillips (30) are captains. Acquired from the Vikings last August, Phillips feels like the Jets are a tighter team entering the 2026-27 season.

"Maybe becoming a lot more of a connected team," he said on Wednesday. "I feel like the camaraderie and that cohesiveness of position groups and outside of your position group, across lines of scrimmage, I feel like we have a group that really likes each other and really enjoys going to work and being confident in the guy that you're going to battle with I think is a hard thing that you try to build through the offseason and through training camp. Sometimes it's an iffy feel, but I feel really confident about that part of it. We're going to stick together through whatever happens."

WR-KR Isaiah Williams
Williams, the Jets 2025 Curtis Martin Team MVP last season became the third player in franchise history to record multiple punt return touchdowns in a single season. Of 13 players to record 20-plus returns on both kickoffs and punts, Williams' 29.9 yards per kickoff return was highest while his 14.1 yards per punt return ranked third. He also is expected to play a significant role on offense after a strong training camp.

"I'll just say he hasn't lost that edge at all," WR Garrett Wilson said of Williams. "Some guys might get comfortable once their spot is a little more solidified and they get named a Team MVP like Isaiah did, stuff like that might get to someone's head. In Isaiah's case, it did the opposite. I think that says a lot about his character, and just about the way that he goes about his business every day. He's one of the most consistent guys I've ever met, just comes in, same energy every day."