The NFL announced today the 32 nominees for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide. The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide is the league’s most prestigious honor and acknowledges NFL players who excel on the field and demonstrate a passion for creating a lasting positive impact beyond the game.
“The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award is the league’s most prestigious honor given annually to the player who best represents the greatness and compassion of Walter Payton on and off the field,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “These 32 outstanding men are making a valuable difference in their communities every day and we are proud to celebrate their special gifts and humanitarianism.”
All 32 nominees will receive recognition for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. The winner of the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air nationally on CBS on Thursday, Feb. 8.
Each nominee supports a range of initiatives off the field that are important to them and their communities, including empowering youth to lead healthy lifestyles, supporting veterans and bringing awareness to other causes close to their hearts. Each nominee will receive up to $55,000 and the award winner will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All donations are made possible by the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.
Below is a list of this year’s nominees:
| TEAM | NOMINEE |
| Arizona Cardinals | Jonathan Ledbetter |
| Atlanta Falcons | Bradley Pinion |
| Baltimore Ravens | Roquan Smith |
| Buffalo Bills | Dion Dawkins |
| Carolina Panthers | Bradley Bozeman |
| Chicago Bears | Justin Jones |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Ted Karras |
| Cleveland Browns | Anthony Walker Jr. |
| Dallas Cowboys | DeMarcus Lawrence |
| Denver Broncos | Garett Bolles |
| Detroit Lions | Frank Ragnow |
| Green Bay Packers | De’Vondre Campbell |
| Houston Texans | Jon Weeks |
| Indianapolis Colts | Zaire Franklin |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Dawuane Smoot |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Patrick Mahomes II |
| Las Vegas Raiders | Maxx Crosby |
| Los Angeles Chargers | Derwin James Jr. |
| Los Angeles Rams | Cooper Kupp |
| Miami Dolphins | Alec Ingold |
| Minnesota Vikings | Harrison Phillips |
| New England Patriots | Jonathan Jones |
| New Orleans Saints | Tyrann Mathieu |
| New York Giants | Saquon Barkley |
| New York Jets | Solomon Thomas |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Lane Johnson |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Cameron Heyward |
| San Francisco 49ers | Arik Armstead |
| Seattle Seahawks | Bobby Wagner |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Antoine Winfield Jr. |
| Tennessee Titans | Jeffery Simmons |
| Washington Commanders | Terry McLaurin |
This year fans are once again encouraged to participate in Nationwide’s annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows fans to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee. Fans can vote on X (formerly Twitter) by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the last name/X handle of their chosen nominee or by voting directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. In cases where multiple nominees share the same last name (i.e. Justin Jones and Jonathan Jones), all valid votes on X must include the #WPMOYChallenge hashtag and the nominee’s X handle or full name.
The nominee who receives the most collective hashtag mentions and votes will win an additional $35,000 donation from Nationwide to the charity of their choice, with the runner-up receiving $10,000 and the third-place winner receiving $5,000. Charity Challenge voting takes place from Dec. 5 to Jan. 8.
“The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award nominees continue to impress and inspire all of us year after year,” said Ramon Jones, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer for Nationwide. “It is an honor for Nationwide to play a role in showcasing and supporting the tremendous work that these community champions do in their team markets, hometowns and across the country.”
Fans can further amplify their support for their favorite nominee by participating in an exciting campaign by Alltroo – an online fundraising platform started by former NFL tight end and 3-time Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, Kyle Rudolph. Through Alltroo, fans can support their favorite nominee by entering an online fundraiser customized by each player for the chance to win special prizes and experiences, such as meet and greets, game tickets, sideline passes and more. Thanks to Nationwide’s support, one hundred percent of the proceeds raised through Alltroo’s campaign will directly support the nominee’s non-profit/charity of choice. For more information visit Alltroo.com.
First established in 1970, the national award was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Chicago Bears legend Walter Payton. Since then, 56 legends and players have received this esteemed award, including three current players, Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys – who was last year’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year – Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos and Calais Campbell of the Atlanta Falcons. Each of these players wears a Man of the Year patch on their jerseys throughout the season to recognize the outstanding contributions they have made to the game and their communities.
Beginning Week 14 and continuing through the end of the season, each of this year’s nominees will also wear a special Man of the Year helmet decal in recognition of their accomplishments on and off the field. Select stadiums will also display goal post wraps adorned with the NFL Man of the Year trophy silhouette.
For more information on the nominees and the award, please visit NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.
