Walter Payton Man of the Year Award: Every Nominee From Every Team

The NFL on Thursday announced all 32 nominees for the prestigious award.

Detailed view of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award trophy before Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium on February 2, 2024. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While NFL players wow fans every year with their accomplishments on the field, it's their achievements off the field that leave lasting impressions on the league's fanbases. And for a select few individuals who go above and beyond, those achievements are recognized every year when the nominees for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is announced.

What Is the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award?

First established in 1970 and in 1999 renamed after former Chicago Bears running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Walter Payton, the award recognizes one player for his excellence on and off the field, focusing on a positive impact made in the player's community, according to the league's website. 32 players, one from each team, who excel on the field while best exemplifying the NFL's commitment to philanthropy and community service are nominated each year for the award.

The league on Thursday announced the 32 nominees for the 2024 award.

2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Nominees

Team	Player
Arizona Cardinals	Trey McBride
Atlanta Falcons	Grady Jarrett
Baltimore Ravens	Roquan Smith
Buffalo Bills	Dion Dawkins
Carolina Panthers	Adam Thielen
Chicago Bears	Andrew Billings
Cincinnati Bengals	Orlando Brown
Cleveland Browns	Denzel Ward
Dallas Cowboys	Zack Martin
Denver Broncos	Alex Singleton
Detroit Lions	Jared Goff
Green Bay Packers	Kenny Clark
Houston Texans	Jalen Pitre
Indianapolis Colts	Kenny Moore II
Jacksonville Jaguars	Arik Armstead
Kansas City Chiefs	Travis Kelce
Las Vegas Raiders	Maxx Crosby
Los Angeles Chargers	Cameron Dicker
Los Angeles Rams	Kyren Williams
Miami Dolphins	Alec Ingold
Minnesota Vikings	C.J. Ham
New England Patriots	Dietrich Wise Jr.
New Orleans Saints	Cameron Jordan
New York Giants	Darius Slayton
New York Jets	Soloman Thomas
Philadelphia Eagles	Brandon Graham
Pittsburgh Steelers	Larry Ogunjobi
San Francisco 49ers	Curtis Robinson
Seattle Seahawks	Uchenna Nwosu
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Mike Evans
Tennessee Titans	Jeffery Simmons
Washington Commanders	Bobby Wagner

Does the Winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Win Anything?

Not individually. The winner receives a $265,000 donation to the charity of his choice. Each nominee also receives up to a $55,000 donation to the charity of their choice. The NFL Foundation and Nationwide handle all of the donations.

How is the winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Chosen?

A panel of judges, including Commissioner Roger Goodell, Walter Payton's widow Connie, the previous year's winner (Cameron Heyward) and several former players select the winner.

Thanks to Nationwide's Charity Challenge, fans can join the conversation and vote on X (formerly Twitter) for their favorite Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee by posting #WPMOYChallenge and the last name or X handle of their favorite nominee. Fans can also vote online. The nominee who receives the most hashtag mentions and online votes will win an additional $35,000 donation to the charity of their choice. The runner-up receives a $10,000 donation and third place receives a $5,000 donation.

The winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award will be announced at the NFL Honors on Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. ET.

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