One of the many ways that rookie Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is doing things differently than Pete Carroll is choosing different team captains each week instead of one group for the entire season. That decision has made for some interesting cointoss lineups for Seattle this year, especially the latest for Sunday's home game against the New York Giants.
In addition to breakout left tackle Charles Cross and core special teams contributor/tight end Brady Russell, the Seahawks have named three other team captains this week - and all of them used to play for the Giants. Here's who Macdonald picked to represent Seattle this week against their former team.
QB Geno Smith
At the top of the list is Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith. After spending the first four years of his career with the New York Jets, Smith signed with the Giants in 2017. He spent practically all of it on the sidelines backing up the late version of Eli Manning, only starting one game all year. Smith entered Week 5 leading the NFL in passing yards this season after nearly dropping 400 on an elite-looking Detroit Lions defense last week.
DL Leonard Williams
Star defensive end Leonard Williams also started his pro career with the Jets, who he played for from 2015-2019 until he was traded to the Giants for two mid-round draft picks. Williams spent the next four years with the G-Men, until they traded him to Seattle for second and fifth-round draft picks last year. Williams is the team's second-highest graded defender after free safety Julian Love.
FS Julian Love
Julian Love is lucky enough to never have been a Jet, getting selected by the Giants in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Love played four solid seasons for New York, but didn't make his first Pro Bowl team until last season, his first with the Seahawks after signing with them in free agency. Love has already signed a contract extension and started the 2024 campaign hot. He might be an All-Pro candidate if he can keep this up. Love is listed as questionable but expected to play Sunday.
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