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Quarterback Kyler Murray, linebacker Blake Cashman and edge defender Andrew Van Ginkel are all first-time team captains for the team.
EAGAN, Minn. — Quarterback Kyler Murray will be one of three new captains for the Minnesota Vikings this season.
Linebacker Blake Cashman and edge defender Andrew Van Ginkel were also named captains for the first time, joining returning captains Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones, Sr., Josh Metellus, Brian O'Neill, and Andrew DePaola.
After being named the starting quarterback on Aug. 11, it's no surprise that Murray, who was a captain in Arizona from 2020 to 2025, wears the "C" with Minnesota.
"I think he's ultra-competitive," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said last month after naming Murray the starter. "It’s clear he loves football. I think he carries a certain amount of presence to him when he walks in the huddle and, obviously, what we've been able to see over - not only the spring where he called a lot of plays, but throughout training camp - is just the comfort now in what we're doing and what we need out of him."
Cashman and Van Ginkel are entering their third season with Minnesota and have emerged as leaders in defensive coordinator Brian Flores' system.
Cashman, an Eden Prairie native, led the team in tackles each of the past two years, while Van Ginkel has amassed 18.5 sacks in his two seasons with the Vikings.
Flores spoke highly of Cashman during training camp, saying he's played a major role communicating to the team, especially some of the younger players.
"Blake's always been a great communicator since we've had him," Flores said. "Really, since he's gotten more comfortable within the system, he's even a little bit like a coach on the field in the sense of 'Hey, you do this really well. When we run a game, you should run with power versus finesse or speed.' Or 'If we're running a line stunt, I'm gonna stay behind the ball or I'm gonna get in front of the ball,' so he's able to coach those guys on the field and really watch film with them in a way that, hopefully, gets them to understand what we're trying to do holistically."
Minnesota kicks off the season against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Sept. 13 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
