New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh has never viewed leadership as something that should belong exclusively to the players wearing a captain's patch.
That philosophy dates back to his time with the Baltimore Ravens, where Harbaugh routinely used a player leadership council while also rotating game-day captains throughout the season.
The leadership council gave veteran players a direct voice in the operation of the team. Members were voted on by their teammates and met with Harbaugh to discuss everything from team issues to practice schedules. Harbaugh made it clear, however, that the council was not the only source of leadership inside the locker room.
"We feel like we've got leadership throughout the roster," Harbaugh said in 2022. "We want to honor that and recognize that -- that we're a team and that we have a team of leaders."
Game-day captains were handled differently. Rather than naming a permanent group for the season, Harbaugh selected captains on a week-to-week basis. The choices could change depending on circumstances, the opponent, or simply an opportunity to recognize a particular player's leadership.

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