Winner to be Announced at NFL Honors the Thursday Before Super Bowl LVII
The NFL announced today the 32 nominees for the WALTER PAYTON NFL MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE. Representing the best of the NFL’s commitment to philanthropy and community impact, each player was selected as his team’s Man of the Year and is now eligible to win the national award. Considered the league’s most prestigious honor, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field. First established in 1970, the national award was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Chicago Bears running back WALTER PAYTON.
“We are proud to present the nominees for this year’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, the League’s most prestigious honor,” said NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL. “These 32 men are recognized for their excellence on the field and the selfless work they do off the field in their hometowns and local team communities. Collectively they represent Walter’s humanitarian spirit of giving back in ways that makes us all incredibly proud.”
All 32 team winners will be highlighted as nominees and recognized for their important work during the week leading up to Super Bowl LVII. The 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year presented by Nationwide will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air nationally the Thursday before Super Bowl LVII on NBC.
All 32 nominees will receive up to a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award will receive up to a $250,000 donation to the charity of their choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.
“Nationwide is proud to recognize and honor the extraordinary efforts of the 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominees,” said RAMON JONES, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Nationwide. “We look forward to showcasing the players’ stories, supporting their causes, and celebrating the collective impact they are making in communities across the country.”
Fans are encouraged to participate in Nationwide’s 8th annual Charity Challenge, a social media campaign designed to support and promote team nominees. Fans can vote on Twitter by using #WPMOYChallenge followed by their favorite nominee’s last name and/or his Twitter handle anywhere within the tweet. The player whose unique mention is used the most between Dec. 6 and Jan. 8 will receive a $25,000 contribution to their charity of choice, while the second and third place finishers will receive $10,000 and $5,000 donations, all courtesy of Nationwide. Hashtag information and official rules can be found at nfl.com/manoftheyear.
Beginning in 2017, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year trophy silhouette came to life in uniform elements to further recognize past award winners and current nominees. The three current players who have won the award—J.J. WATT, CALAIS CAMPBELL and RUSSELL WILSON —continue to wear a Man of the Year patch on their jerseys to recognize their outstanding contributions to the game and to their communities. All 2022 nominees will wear a Man of the Year helmet decal beginning Week 14 and continuing through the end of the season in recognition of their accomplishments on and off the field.
Each of these players support many different causes, ranging from social justice work, supporting veterans, fighting homelessness and more. For more information on the nominees and the award, visit NFL.com/manoftheyear.
Below is a list of the 2022 nominees:
| TEAM | NOMINEE |
| Arizona Cardinals | Zach Ertz |
| Atlanta Falcons | Chris Lindstrom |
| Baltimore Ravens | Chuck Clark |
| Buffalo Bills | Dion Dawkins |
| Carolina Panthers | Derrick Brown |
| Chicago Bears | Jaylon Johnson |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Sam Hubbard |
| Cleveland Browns | Joel Bitonio |
| Dallas Cowboys | Dak Prescott |
| Denver Broncos | Dalton Risner |
| Detroit Lions | Jared Goff |
| Green Bay Packers | Aaron Jones |
| Houston Texans | Christian Kirksey |
| Indianapolis Colts | Shaquille Leonard |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Tyler Shatley |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Patrick Mahomes |
| Las Vegas Raiders | A.J. Cole |
| Los Angeles Chargers | Derwin James Jr. |
| Los Angeles Rams | Tremayne Anchrum |
| Miami Dolphins | Jaelan Phillips |
| Minnesota Vikings | Adam Thielen |
| New England Patriots | Lawrence Guy |
| New Orleans Saints | Demario Davis |
| New York Giants | Saquon Barkley |
| New York Jets | Solomon Thomas |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Brandon Graham |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Cameron Heyward |
| San Francisco 49ers | Arik Armstead |
| Seattle Seahawks | Tyler Lockett |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | William Gholston |
| Tennessee Titans | Derrick Henry |
| Washington Commanders | Charles Leno Jr. |
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