Jalen Hurts has spent multiple years around Blankenship and seen him grow from an undrafted rookie, and he watched Baun become an All-Pro in Philadelphia last season. Now, they join Hurts as captains.
"I think it's based off of a lot of hard work, a lot of belief in themselves, and determination to be the best they can be," Hurts said of Blankenship and Baun. "That's earned them the opportunity to have everything in front of them that they have now. They've been giving it their all as they've been Eagles, and we're going to continue to build that."
Barkley was named a captain in five straight seasons with the New York Giants, and after a prolific season on and off the field last year, his teammates voted him a captain in Philadelphia.
While Barkley has donned the "C" before, it's extra special coming with this group.
"You know what type of players we have on this team," Barkley said. "Not just the talent, but really mean tremendous leaders."
While he's honored to be a captain, he knows he still has to do his job as a leader.
"To be able to come here and be captains with such tremendous leaders means a lot to me," Barkley said. "But at the same time, leading doesn't just happen because you have a 'C' on your chest. Whether I have a 'C' on my chest or not, my mindset, my leadership wasn't going to stop."
With this being Hurts' fifth season as a captain, the "C" on his chest will be in gold. He said it's "always an honor" to be named a captain, but every year is its own year, including as a leader.
"There's always a different nuance to your approach while it's always the same person," Hurts said. "The person just evolves and grows and is able to take on the lessons throughout getting to this point."
Jake Elliott earned his fourth captain's patch after becoming the team's kicker as a rookie in 2017. He is now one of only two current Eagles to be a part of both Super Bowl teams and feels honored to be selected as a captain again.
"I've been around this organization for so long with so many guys that I really respect," Elliott said. "Just to be in a conversation for that is always really meaningful. And for me, as far as how I handle it, it's just going to work and visually seeing what I do and the work that I put in every day. And I hope guys can follow that." – Written by Matt Ryan