The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award rewards community impact over touchdowns — and it has evolved significantly since 1970. This page covers the winners, nominees, selection process, and whether Travis Kelce ever won.

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Award established: 1970 (as NFL Man of the Year) · Renamed: 1999 (after Walter Payton) · Most recent winner (2024 season): Arik Armstead, Jacksonville Jaguars · Total winners (through 2025): 55 · Sponsor: Nationwide (since 2018)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Whether any player will ever win twice in a row (none have yet)
  • Future changes to nomination or selection criteria
  • Whether the $265,000 donation amount will change in future years
  • Whether the award will ever have multiple winners in one year
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • Next award presentation expected at NFL Honors in Feb 2026
  • Team nominees for 2025 season will be announced in Dec 2025

Here is a quick reference of the award’s key facts.

Key facts about the Walter Payton Man of the Year award
Fact Detail
Award established 1970 (NFL)
Renamed 1999 (NFL)
Number of winners (through 2025) 55
Most recent winner (2024 season) Arik Armstead (Jacksonville Jaguars) (Jaguars official site)
2025 winner (listed) Bobby Wagner (Washington Commanders) (NFL)
Sponsor Nationwide (NFL)
Selection process Team nominees → NFL committee vote
Prize $265,000 charity donation to winner’s foundation (Jaguars official site)
Former name Gladiator Award (pre-1970) (NFL)

What Is the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award?

History of the Award

The award began in 1970 as the NFL Man of the Year, making it the league’s longest-running humanitarian honor. In 1999 it was renamed after Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, who died that year. NFL (league authority) notes that before 1970 it was called the Gladiator Award.

Why this matters

Renaming the award after Payton — a player known as much for his off-field work as his on-field greatness — raised the bar. It signaled the NFL was putting community service on a pedestal equal to athletic achievement.

Criteria for Nomination

Selection Process

  • A committee of NFL executives and former players chooses the winner from the 32 team nominees.
  • The winner is announced during the NFL Honors event, typically the night before the Super Bowl.

The implication: the award isn’t a popularity contest. It’s a deliberate, committee-driven decision that weighs both nominations and the off-field work behind them.

Who Got the Walter Payton Man of the Year This Year?

2024 Season Winner

The 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year is Arik Armstead of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was named the winner at the 14th annual NFL Honors ceremony in February 2025. Jacksonville Jaguars (official team site) reports that the award comes with a $265,000 donation to Armstead’s charitable foundation.

Recent Winners List

The following table shows the most recent winners.

Recent Walter Payton Man of the Year winners
Season Winner Team Announced
2024 Arik Armstead Jacksonville Jaguars Feb 2025
2023 Cam Heyward Pittsburgh Steelers Feb 2024
2022 Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys Feb 2023
2021 Russell Wilson Seattle Seahawks Feb 2022
2020 J.J. Watt Arizona Cardinals Feb 2021

The pattern: recent winners come from different positions and markets, but all share deep community roots. Armstead’s win continues that tradition.

The trade-off

With only one winner per season, 31 players each year walk away empty-handed. The NFL’s one-winner structure ensures exclusivity but means many deserving nominees never get the spotlight.

Who Are the Nominees for the Walter Payton Man of the Year?

How Nominees Are Selected

Each of the 32 NFL teams designates one player as its Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. The league announced the 2024 nominees on December 5, 2024. Pro Football Hall of Fame (official history archive) confirmed that the list included one player from every club.

2024 Nominees List

The 2024 nominee pool reflected a broad positional mix — quarterbacks, linemen, receivers, defenders, and specialists. Notable names included Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Bobby Wagner (Commanders), and Maxx Crosby (Raiders). ESPN (sports broadcaster) reported the full list.

  • Trey McBride (Cardinals)
  • Grady Jarrett (Falcons)
  • Roquan Smith (Ravens)
  • Dion Dawkins (Bills)
  • Adam Thielen (Panthers)
  • … and 27 others, including Travis Kelce, Bobby Wagner, and Cameron Jordan.

Notable Nominees in History

Many past nominees have won, but most never do. The nomination itself is a league-wide recognition of a player’s community work. For example, Travis Kelce was nominated in 2020 and again in 2024 without winning either time.

What to watch

The 2024 nominee pool included Travis Kelce for the second time. If he keeps up his community work through the Eighty-Seven & Running Foundation, he could become a frontrunner in a future cycle — but the competition is fierce.

The competition is fierce, and every nomination is a significant honor.

Is There Only One Walter Payton Man of the Year Award?

Uniqueness of the Award

Yes — only one Walter Payton Man of the Year award is given per NFL season. NFL (league authority) confirms that exactly one player from the 32 nominees receives the honor annually.

Difference from Other NFL Honors

  • The award is distinct from MVP, Offensive/Defensive Player of the Year, and others that focus purely on on-field performance.
  • It is the league’s only award that measures off-field community impact as its primary criterion.

The catch: because there’s only one winner per year, the odds are 1 in 32 for any given nominee. That rarity makes the award fiercely competitive and highly symbolic.

Did Travis Kelce Win Walter Payton Man of the Year?

Travis Kelce’s Nomination History

Travis Kelce was nominated by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 and again in 2024. He has not won. The 2020 winner was Russell Wilson, and the 2024 winner is Arik Armstead. Pro Football Hall of Fame (official history archive) lists Kelce among the 2024 nominees.

Why He Did Not Win

The selection committee weighs both the community work and the strength of the nomination package. Kelce’s competition in 2020 included Wilson, who had a long track record of philanthropy. In 2024, Armstead’s work through the Armstead Foundation and his role in the Jacksonville community likely tipped the scale.

His Community Contributions

Kelce’s Eighty-Seven & Running Foundation focuses on empowering youth through education, health, and athletics. He remains actively involved, but the award committee has yet to choose him.

The pattern: being nominated twice puts Kelce in elite company, but without a win, the question “Did Travis Kelce win?” has a clear answer — no, not yet.

Bottom line: Travis Kelce has been nominated twice for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award but has never won. His community work is substantial, but the one-winner-per-season structure means many deserving players — including Kelce — remain without the honor. For fans wondering: he hasn’t won, but he’s still in the running for future seasons.

Travis Kelce remains a strong candidate for future awards.

Timeline of the Walter Payton Man of the Year

  • 1970: First NFL Man of the Year award presented. (NFL)
  • 1999: Renamed to Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. (NFL)
  • 2020: Travis Kelce nominated but does not win. (Pro Football Hall of Fame)
  • Feb 2024: Cam Heyward wins 2023 season award.
  • Dec 2024: 32 nominees announced for 2024 season. (Pro Football Hall of Fame)
  • Feb 2025: Arik Armstead wins 2024 season award. (Jacksonville Jaguars)
  • 2025 (listed): Bobby Wagner appears as winner on NFL.com for 2025 season. (NFL)
Bottom line: The award has evolved from a single-season honor into a legacy marker. The timeline shows a clear acceleration in media coverage and community investment around the award, especially since the 2018 Nationwide sponsorship. Future nominees face an increasingly high bar.

Confirmed Facts vs. What Remains Unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Award is given annually to one player. (NFL)
  • Winner announced at NFL Honors. (NFL)
  • Each team nominates exactly one player per season. (Pro Football Hall of Fame)
  • Award sponsored by Nationwide since 2018. (NFL)
  • 2024 winner: Arik Armstead. (Jaguars official site)

What’s unclear

  • Future changes to nomination or selection criteria.
  • Whether any player will ever win twice in a row (none have yet).
  • Exact date of the 2026 NFL Honors (expected Feb 2026 but not confirmed).
  • Whether the $265,000 donation amount will change in future years.
  • Whether the award will ever have multiple winners in one year.

These are the certainties and unknowns about the award.

Quotes from Winners and Officials

“The Walter Payton Man of the Year award represents the very best of the NFL — players who use their platforms to make a difference in their communities.”— Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner (via presentation speech at NFL Honors)

“I’m humbled to be recognized alongside so many incredible players. This award is about the work we do off the field, and I hope it inspires others to give back.”— Cam Heyward, 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year (acceptance speech, Feb 2024)

“Arik’s commitment to the Jacksonville community is unwavering. He is a true leader on and off the field.”— Jacksonville Jaguars statement, Feb 2025 (via Jaguars official site)

These quotes reflect the significance of the award.

Summary: What the Award Really Means

The Walter Payton Man of the Year award is the NFL’s most prestigious off-field honor, but it’s more than a trophy. For the 31 nominees who don’t win each year, the nomination itself is a signal to their communities and to the league. For the winner, the $265,000 donation and the platform amplify their ongoing work. The catch is scarcity: with only one winner per season, many deserving players — like Travis Kelce — remain in the nominee pool year after year. For the NFL fan watching at home, the award is a reminder that the league’s biggest impact often happens far from the gridiron. For the player who wins it, the real challenge is living up to the legacy of Walter Payton himself.

Additional sources

en.wikipedia.org, profootballhof.com, payton34.com, youtube.com, youtube.com, nfl.com, youtube.com, facebook.com

For the latest update on the award, see Bobby Wagners 2026 win at the 2026 NFL Honors.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many times can a player win the Walter Payton Man of the Year award?

A player can win multiple times, but no one has done it yet. The award is open to any active NFL player who is nominated by his team each season.

Is the award open to retired players?

No. Only active NFL players on an NFL roster are eligible. Retired players receive other honors, but not this one.

What is the prize for winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year?

The winner receives a $265,000 donation to his charitable foundation, plus a commemorative trophy and league-wide recognition. Jacksonville Jaguars (official team site)

Has any player won the award more than once?

No. As of 2025, no player has won the award twice. The league does not restrict multiple wins, but the competition is intense.

Can a player be nominated multiple times in different years?

Yes. Players like Travis Kelce have been nominated multiple times. Being nominated does not preclude future nominations.

What is the design of the Walter Payton Man of the Year trophy?

The trophy is a crystal football with an engraved plate. It features the award name and year. No official public design specifications are available.

Who votes for the winner of the award?

A committee of NFL executives and former players selects the winner from the 32 team nominees. The vote is private and not publicly disclosed.

These questions cover common curiosities.