Last year, the 49ers had the following eight captains: Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey and Brock Purdy.
Who will be the captains this year?
I think it’s fair to assume that Bosa, Warner, McCaffrey and Juszczyk will be captains again. Those four are veterans who always practice when healthy. They set a standard of effort and performance every day.
In addition, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and Jauan Jennings most likely will become captains for the first time. Both are younger veterans who practice and play as hard or harder than just about everyone else on the team. So those are six captains.
The 49ers could stick with six and only six. Or, they could have as many as eight like they had last season.
The final three contenders are Kittle, Purdy and Williams. All three were captains last year and are worthy to be captains again this year. But if they hold out, they shouldn’t be captains. Last year, Williams held out for all of training and still was a captain. That was wrong.
To be a captain, a player should have to actually show up and practice with his teammates. That’s true leadership. That’s what being a captain is all about. It’s not a popularity contest or a Pro Bowl vote.
So if Purdy and Kittle hold out of training camp while their agents negotiate extensions with the team, that’s perfectly understandable. That’s the business of the NFL. But they should have to forfeit their status as captains as well.
Sorry.