2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Nominees REVEALED
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on December 6, 2022 at 8:30 PM EST
Earlier today, the NFL announced the 32 nominees for this year's Walter Payton Man of the Year award -- the league's most prestigious honor.
The iconic award was first established in 1970, but was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton.
Former Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth was named the 2021 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, but who is nominated for this year's award?
32 Nominees Unveiled For 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year
The NFL has revealed the full list of nominees for this year's prestigious award, which includes Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Arizona Cardinal tight end Zach Ertz, and more.
Here is the full list of nominees:
- Zach Ertz (Arizona Cardinals · TE)
- Chris Lindstrom (Atlanta Falcons · G)
- Chuck Clark (Baltimore Ravens · S)
- Dion Dawkins (Buffalo Bills · OT)
- Derrick Brown (Carolina Panthers · DT)
- Jaylon Johnson (Chicago Bears · CB)
- Sam Hubbard (Cincinnati Bengals · DE)
- Joel Bitonio (Cleveland Browns · G)
- Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys · QB)
- Dalton Risner (Denver Broncos · G)
- Jared Goff (Detroit Lions · QB)
- Aaron Jones (Green Bay Packers · RB)
- Christian Kirksey (Houston Texans · MLB)
- Shaquille Leonard (Indianapolis Colts · OLB)
- Tyler Shatley (Jacksonville Jaguars · G)
- Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs · QB)
- A.J. Cole (Las Vegas Raiders · P)
- Derwin James (Los Angeles Chargers · S)
- Tremayne Anchrum (Los Angeles Rams · G)
- Jaelan Phillips (Miami Dolphins · OLB)
- Adam Thielen (Minnesota Vikings · WR)
- Lawrence Guy (New England Patriots · DE)
- Demario Davis (New Orleans Saints · OLB)
- Saquon Barkley (New York Giants · RB)
- Solomon Thomas (New York Jets · DE)
- Brandon Graham (Philadelphia Eagles · DE)
- Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers · NT)
- Arik Armstead (San Francisco 49ers · DT)
- Tyler Lockett (Seattle Seahawks · WR)
- William Gholston (Tampa Bay Buccaneers · DE)
- Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans · RB)
- Charles Leno Jr. (Washington Commanders · OT)
Los Angeles Rams Andrew Whitworth Named 2021 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year
Former Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth was named the 2021 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and delivered one of the most memorable speeches to date.
“I’m here to tell you we have more work to do,” Whitworth said. “Social media for bringing awareness to all our causes, but that’s not enough. We need more action. Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, this is the truth: The people who come to see us play, who watch our game on TV, who buy our jerseys, who follow you on social media, they’re why our game exists. It’s why we have a field to play on. We are financially supported and provided the opportunity to play a kid’s game because of the support we receive from communities across this country and across the world.”
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1491987596028702721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1491987596028702721%7Ctwgr%5Efb6ed9b39bb820763156d1e5d2c99b80e17fc452%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheramswire.usatoday.com%2F2022%2F02%2F10%2Frams-andrew-whitworth-walter-payton-speech-video%2F
About one month after the Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl, Andrew Witworth announced he would be retiring from the NFL, but his next chapter has already begun as he joined Amazon's Thursday Night Football crew as an analyst.
What Does The Winner Of The Walter Payton Award Get?
The winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year award receives a $250,000 donated to the winner's charity of choice.
But that's not all because the other 31 nominees will also receive up to $40,000 donated to their charity of choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.
The winner of the 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year award will be announced during NFL Honors before the Super Bowl LVII.
