Travis Kelce, Derrick Henry Among 32 Nominees for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year

One player from every team is nominated, and the award winner will be announced at the 2026 NFL Honors Show on Feb. 5.

The 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year, Arik Armstead, speaks during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., on April 24, 2025. Stacy Revere/Getty Images

The National Football League has revealed the 32 nominees to win the league’s most prestigious honor—the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. Every NFL team nominates one player who not only excels on the field but also makes a significant contribution in his respective community.

The award will be handed out at the 2026 NFL Honors Show on Feb. 5, the Thursday before the Super Bowl, in the Bay Area.

Among the team nominees are Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens, Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders. All 32 team nominees receive up to a $40,000 donation to a charity of their choice, while the winner of the Man of the Year award will receive up to a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice.

“The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is our league’s most revered honor, celebrating players for their excellence both on and off the field,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “These 32 men represent the best of the NFL, and the incredible contributions they make to their teams and communities every day continue to keep Walter’s legacy alive.”

The award was first given out in 1970, with Baltimore Colts quarterback and Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas winning the inaugural honor. Back then, it was simply called the NFL Man of the Year award. The eventual namesake of it, Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears, won the award in 1977, and shortly after his death in 1999, his name was added to the award.

The National Football League proclaims it as the highest honor a player can receive, as it points to not just his ability as a player but also his character as a person. Each of the 32 nominees has unique community efforts, which got them on the shortlist for this award, but many of those efforts extend back many years.

For example, Kelce was instrumental in establishing the Ignition Lab in Kansas City, whose mission is to “provide a safe, loving and educational environment for children in poverty.” Kelce played a role in its creation five years ago, and through this year, it has served over 1,000 students. Additionally, through his “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce, multiple cars have been donated to the program for the students to restore.

Henry has hosted back-to-school events in Maryland after learning about the issues that many students struggle with. He also donated winter coats and hats to all 465 students at the Curtis Bay Elementary School in Baltimore and has donated turkeys to underserved families during Thanksgiving.

Players can only win the award once, and there are five active players who have previously been Walter Payton Man of the Year award winners. They are Jacksonville’s Arik Armstead (2024), Pittsburgh’s Cameron Heyward (2023), Dallas’ Dak Prescott (2022), the New York Giants’ Russell Wilson (2020)—who won the award while with Seattle—and Arizona’s Calais Campbell (2019)—who won the award while with Jacksonville.

All current players who have won the honor receive not only a trophy but also an exclusive jersey patch that is the silhouette of the trophy. Each of the 32 annual nominees is also recognized with a trophy silhouette helmet decal, starting in Week 14, that can then be worn for the rest of the season.

The list of previous winners who have since retired is a who’s who of NFL greatness. They include Hall of Famers, MVP winners, and multi-time NFL All-Pros. Amongst the past winners are Roger Staubach (1978), “Mean” Joe Greene (1979), Warren Moon (1989), Troy Aikman (1997), Peyton Manning (2005), and Larry Fitzgerald (2016).

The Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Chicago Bears have had the most award winners, with five apiece. At least one player at every position has previously won the award, with the exception of the punter position. Logan Cooke of the Jacksonville Jaguars is the lone punter nominee this year.

A panel of judges, including the commissioner, the previous year’s award winner, and a number of former players, will select the winner. Meanwhile, fans can show their support for their favorite nominee online through a social media contest. The player who gets the most online votes and Twitter hashtag mentions will win a $35,000 donation to his charity from the award’s sponsor, Nationwide, with the second and third-place finishers receiving $10,000 and $5,000, respectively.