NFL unveils 2025 club winners for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide
All 32 club winners will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LX in the Bay Area. The national winner of the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide will be announced during NFL Honors, a prime-time awards special airing on Thursday, Feb. 5.
Each of this year’s club winners supports a range of causes and initiatives off the field, including uplifting underserved communities, empowering young people to lead healthy lifestyles and many other notable causes. The charitable beneficiary of each team’s club winner will receive up to $40,000, and the nonprofit chosen by the overall national winner will receive up to $250,000. All funds are donations courtesy of the NFL Foundation and the Nationwide Foundation.
Fans are once again encouraged to participate in Nationwide’s annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows fans to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year club winner. Fans can vote on X/Twitter by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the full name/X handle of their chosen player or by voting directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. The charitable beneficiary of the player who receives the most collective hashtag mentions and online votes will win an additional $35,000 donation from Nationwide, with the nonprofit partners of the runner-up and third-place finishers receiving $10,000 and $5,000, respectively. Charity Challenge voting takes place from Dec. 4 through Jan. 5, 2026.
“As a company deeply rooted in a culture of caring and community support, Nationwide is honored to recognize the inspiring club winners for this year’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award,” said Ann Bair, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Nationwide. “We’re proud to showcase these players and help amplify the causes they champion, celebrating the meaningful impact they’re making far beyond the field.”
First established in 1970, the national award was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Chicago Bears legend Walter Payton. Since then, 58 legends and players have received this esteemed award, including five current players: Arik Armstead of the Jacksonville Jaguars — who was last year’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year — Cameron Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys, Russell Wilson of the New York Giants, and Calais Campbell of the Arizona Cardinals. Each of these players wears a Man of the Year patch on their jerseys throughout the season to recognize the outstanding contributions they have made to the game and their communities.
Beginning Week 14 and continuing through the end of the season, each of this year’s club winners will also wear a special Man of the Year helmet decal in recognition of their accomplishments on and off the field. Select stadiums will also display goal post wraps adorned with the NFL Man of the Year trophy silhouette.
New this season, Homage will produce a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year-inspired “Gladiator” product. The product is inspired by the Man of the Year trophy and celebrates this year’s club winners. Each of the 32 club winners will receive this unique product. Fans can share how they’ve uplifted their communities and enter for a chance to win a Gladiator t-shirt at NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. Fans can also purchase a Gladiator t-shirt directly at Homage.com.
For the first time, fans now have the opportunity to purchase Armstead’s jersey with the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Gladiator patch. A limited quantity of the jersey is now available for sale at NFLShop.com, Fanatics.com, and the Jaguars online store.
The NFL does not profit from the sale of Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year products, and proceeds from the products are awarded by the NFL Foundation to player-supported nonprofit partners.
To learn more about the stories of all 32 players and for more information about the award, please visit NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.
