Falcons announce 2019 captains

The Atlanta Falcons announced four season-long captains for the 2019 season and one weekly captain. The season-long captains are quarterback Matt Ryan, wide receiver Julio Jones, safety Ricardo Allen and center Alex Mack.

Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and has led the Falcons for many seasons, so he’s a no-brainer selection as a team captain. He was fortunate to learn from one of the best, tight end Tony Gonzalez who played a big part in teaching an already mature Matt Ryan.

Julio Jones

Even with the background noise surrounding his contract negotiations this off-season, Julio has been the perfect illustration of a prototypical teammate. He has all the talent in the world, and despite the outstanding contract issues, has stayed with his teammates through camp and helped them improve their game.

Ricardo Allen

After suffering an Achilles injury in 2018, Ricardo Allen is healthy and ready to help lead this team. He has had quite the journey, as the Falcons selected Allen in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Following the preseason, he was cut, then added to the practice squad. Under head coach Dan Quinn, Allen has thrived following his transition to free safety.

Alex Mack

He’s regarded as one of the best centers in the NFL and is a leader along the offensive line. Alex Mack is considered one of the league’s best centers and is known as a leader along the offensive line. He signed with the Falcons in 2016, and has started every game during that stretch. Since joining the Falcons, he has been selected to three Pro Bowls.

Weekly Captain

The Falcons will have a fifth captain selected prior to each game during the 2019 season. The captain for the season-opener against the Minnesota Vikings is linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. Campbell was drafted by the Falcons in 2016 out of the University of Minnesota and has since started for the team.