FRISCO, Texas — The culture change being instituted by head coach Brian Schottenheimer has the Dallas Cowboys moving differently entering the 2026 season. That is a statement as layered as an onion but, focusing on just one of those layers, the Cowboys have done away with the notion of having weekly team captains.
Furthermore, Schottenheimer has dwindled the tally of captains in his second year as head coach down to only four players — previously naming six captains in 2025.
"It was all player voting," Schottenheimer said. "And that's what makes it such an awesome, awesome and incredible designation, that you get voted on by the players and your peers and brothers. There are a lot of other guys that got a number of votes, but those guys were clearly the four highest, and that spoke volumes to me from the numbers."
On Thursday, as the Cowboys head into a short and final break ahead of their Week 1 preparation for the New York Giants, Schottenheimer took to the podium to announce the aforementioned four team captains for the upcoming season.
- Dak Prescott, QB
- Quinnen Williams, DT
- Kenny Clark. DT
- Brandon Aubrey, K
The Cowboys named two captains for defense, one for offense and one for special teams, a change over last season when they named two for each unit. Prescott continues to be honored with the captain patch, as does Aubrey, the two All-Pros leading their respective unites.
Schottenheimer made it clear this was not a penalty to anyone not named or who was a captain in 2025, but isn't in 2026.
As noted above, it simply came down to the number of votes received, and Prescott, Williams, Clark and Aubrey were the top four in that tally. It does speak to the immediate impact in the locker room of Williams and Clark, though, considering the latter arrived shortly ahead of last season, the former then arriving in early November — both via blockbuster trade.
Williams and Clark have also been named to the Cowboys' leadership council, cementing just how far the team has come in revamping their defensive tackles room, a combined seven Pro Bowl nods between them, and the defensive culture as a whole.
These four players will be looked upon, in addition to the leadership council, to keep the locker room aimed at trying to break the 30-year championship drought — effective immediately.
