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The NFL announced 32 nominees for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, which honors the player who represents the league’s commitment to philanthropy and community impact.
The award was established in 1979 and renamed in 1999 to honor former Chicago Bears RB Walter Payton who had passed away that year.
The following is the full list of nominees for the 2024 season:
- Arizona Cardinals DL Jonathan Ledbetter
- Atlanta Falcons P Bradley Pinion
- Baltimore Ravens LB Roquan Smith
- Buffalo Bills LT Dion Dawkins
- Carolina Panthers C Bradley Bozeman
- Chicago Bears DT Justin Jones
- Cincinnati Bengals C Ted Karras
- Cleveland Browns LB Anthony Walker
- Dallas Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence
- Denver Broncos LT Garett Bolles
- Detroit Lions C Frank Ragnow
- Green Bay Packers LB De’Vondre Campbell
- Houston Texans LS Jon Weeks
- Indianapolis Colts LB Zaire Franklin
- Jacksonville Jaguars DE Dawuane Smoot
- Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
- Las Vegas Raiders LB Maxx Crosby
- Los Angeles Chargers S Derwin James
- Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp
- Miami Dolphins FB Alec Ingold
- Minnesota Vikings DT Harrison Phillips
- New England Patriots CB Jonathan Jones
- New Orleans Saints S Tyrann Mathieu
- New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley
- New York Jets DL Solomon Thomas
- Philadelphia Eagles RT Lane Johnson
- Pittsburgh Steelers DL Cameron Heyward
- San Francisco 49ers DL Arik Armstead
- Seattle Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers S Antoine Winfield Jr.
- Tennessee Titans DL Jeffery Simmons
- Washington Commanders WR Terry McLaurin
The award will once again be presented by Nationwide and the winner announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special that will air before the Super Bowl.
All 32 nominees will receive a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice, with the winner receiving a $250,000 donation to the charity of their choice, courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.
More must-reads:
- Browns HC gives troubling Shedeur Sanders update ahead of Eagles game
- NFL under fire for decision on Chiefs WR Rashee Rice
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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