PUP List Won’t Keep Smith from Being Team Captain

Last week, the Broncos announced their team captains for the season – Jay Cutler, Tom Nalen, John Lynch and Champ Bailey. It appears these four players went to coach Mike Shanahan and told him that there was a name missing from the list. Injured WR Rod Smith belonged among the leaders of the team as well.

Offseason hip surgery hasn’t kept Smith from being a leader in the locker room. Mike Shanahan spoke of how the move came from the players, not the coaches:

I had the captains come to me and say they did not feel right not having Rod Smith as a captain. They know if he would have been healthy he definitely would have been one of our captain. To want Rod Smith as part of the group. I thought it was a heck of an idea.

You hear stories around the NFL about injured players who become separated from the team – hell, the Eagles were infamous for not inviting Donovan McNabb to team games because they didn’t feel it would be “appropriate” in the light of Jeff Garcia‘s success last year. It just shows how classy an organization Denver is – standing by their injured teammate and supporting him in unique ways.

I had posted a few weeks ago that the Broncos lacked leadership – I may have spoke too soon. I was impressed with D.J. Williams as a leader among the linebackers, and every player on offense was glowing about Jay Cutler‘s poise in the huddle during the final drive of the first game. With Rod Smith taking back his role as captain, this team might not be lacking the leadership I thought it would.