Carolina Panthers stick to familiar for 2015 season captains

There were no surprises among the Panthers’ choice of captains this week, which coach Ron Rivera sees as a good thing.

The Panthers’ season captains are the same as last year: quarterback Cam Newton, tight end Greg Olsen, center Ryan Kalil, defensive end Charles Johnson and linebackers Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly.

“The vote count was almost exactly the same as it was last year, in terms of total numbers. So that was good to see,” Rivera said Friday. “Guys feel really good about the six guys that led them last year.”

Rivera likes the group, as well. He said he appreciated their leadership when he left training camp for two days to attend his brother’s funeral.

“These guys have been great for me, obviously through my situation with my brother,” Rivera said. “The way I was able to tell these guys, ‘We need to make sure we have a good couple of days while I’m gone.’ They picked up the slack. So I’m glad the players felt that way, that these guys represent us very well.”

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 9:22 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers stick to familiar for 2015 season captains."