The NFL has announced the players nominated by each of the 32 NFL teams for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. One of the highest annual honors by the NFL, the award signifies on-field excellence and a commitment toward serving their communities off the field.
For the second consecutive season, the Kansas City Chiefs have nominated quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the prestigious award. The reigning league Most Valuable Player leads the club to an 8-4 record, sitting atop the AFC West. He’s completed 301 of his 444 pass attempts for 3,127 yards with 22 touchdowns and ten interceptions.
“The Chiefs organization and the Kansas City community could not ask for a better leader on the field and representative off of it, which is why we are honored to once again announce Patrick Mahomes as the club’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt wrote, via press release. “Patrick, along with his family and his foundation, truly exemplifies the characteristics that this award represents. Since his career began in 2017, he has demonstrated an ever-increasing commitment to bettering the communities around him. Patrick uses his platform to help those in need, and we feel that he is more than deserving of this high honor. We believe Patrick and his family will continue to impact and empower communities across the country for years to come.”
We're excited to officially announce our Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee, @PatrickMahomes 👏#WPMOYChallenge + @Nationwide pic.twitter.com/A0MKjw05i0
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 5, 2023
Since entering the league as the Chiefs’ 10th overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, Mahomes has significantly impacted both on and off the field. In 2019, he established his foundation, 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, which has emphasized improving the lives of children with a continued focus on supporting health, wellness, and various communities in need of resources.
“It’s such an honor to be nominated again by the Chiefs as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year,” Mahomes said. “As a dad of two, it means the world to me to be able to provide opportunities and support to underserved youth, and my family and I are so humbled to be in the running for an award that means so much to the Chiefs organization and to our community. It’s crazy to see the way 15 and the Mahomies has grown and continues to make more and more of a difference for kids here in Kansas City, across Texas, and beyond. We know there is still so much work to be done, and we’re so grateful and humbled by the support that Chiefs Kingdom gives us and the foundation. It’s truly an honor to represent my foundation, Chiefs Kingdom, my family, as well as the Payton family and Hunt family.”
Mahomes will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season, along with the other 31 nominees, in recognition of their accomplishments on and off the field. He won last year’s Nationwide Charity Challenge, extending the Chiefs team streak to three seasons.
Chiefs fans can support Mahomes by voting on X (formerly Twitter) using the #WPMOYChallenge hashtag followed by “Mahomes” or his Twitter handle. If Mahomes receives the most votes between Dec. 5 and Jan. 8 this year, fans can also vote by visiting NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. The player who gets the most hashtag mentions and online votes wins an additional $35,000 for their charity. The runner-up receives $10,000, and third-place will receive $5,000 for their charity, all courtesy of Nationwide. You can vote and find hashtag information and official rules at NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.
