Every NFL player wants to win the league's myriad awards for on-field excellence—MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and so on.
However, winning the league's Walter Payton Man of the Year award conveys a special brand of immortality. The award—which "recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field"—has been given out since before its future namesake, Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, debuted in the NFL. That the award was renamed for Payton in 1999 only increased its stature.
As the league prepares to crown a 2024 winner, here's a look back at which players have won the award since its 1970 inception.
Full List of Every Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Winner
YEAR
WINNER
POSITION
TEAM
1970
Johnny Unitas
Quarterback
Baltimore Colts
1971
John Hadl
Quarterback
San Diego Chargers
1972
Willie Lanier
Linebacker
Kansas City Chiefs
1973
Len Dawson
Quarterback
Kansas City Chiefs
1974
George Blanda
Quarterback
Oakland Raiders
1975
Ken Anderson
Quarterback
Cincinnati Bengals
1976
Franco Harris
Fullback
Pittsburgh Steelers
1977
Walter Payton
Running back
Chicago Bears
1978
Roger Staubach
Quarterback
Dallas Cowboys
1979
Joe Greene
Defensive tackle
Pittsburgh Steelers
1980
Harold Carmichael
Wide receiver
Philadelphia Eagles
1981
Lynn Swann
Wide receiver
Pittsburgh Steelers
1982
Joe Theismann
Quarterback
Washington
1983
Rolf Benirschke
Kicker
San Diego Chargers
1984
Marty Lyons
Defensive tackle
New York Jets
1985
Dwight Stephenson
Center
Miami Dolphins
1986
Reggie Williams
Linebacker
Cincinnati Bengals
1987
Dave Duerson
Defensive back
Chicago Bears
1988
Steve Largent
Wide receiver
Seattle Seahawks
1989
Warren Moon
Quarterback
Houston Oilers
1990
Mike Singletary
Linebacker
Chicago Bears
1991
Anthony Munoz
Offensive tackle
Cincinnati Bengals
1992
John Elway
Quarterback
Denver Broncos
1993
Derrick Thomas
Linebacker
Kansas City Chiefs
1994
Junior Seau
Linebacker
San Diego Chargers
1995
Boomer Esiason
Quarterback
New York Jets
1996
Darrell Green
Cornerback
Washington
1997
Troy Aikman
Quarterback
Dallas Cowboys
1998
Dan Marino
Quarterback
Miami Dolphins
1999
Cris Carter
Wide receiver
Minnesota Vikings
2000
Derrick Brooks and Jim Flanigan
Linebacker and defensive tackle
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears
2001
Jerome Bettis
Running back
Pittsburgh Steelers
2002
Troy Vincent
Cornerback
Philadelphia Eagles
2003
Will Shields
Offensive guard
Kansas City Chiefs
2004
Warrick Dunn
Running back
Atlanta Falcons
2005
Peyton Manning
Quarterback
Indianapolis Colts
2006
Drew Brees and LaDainian Tomlinson
Quarterback and running back
New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers
2007
Jason Taylor
Defensive end
Miami Dolphins
2008
Kurt Warner
Quarterback
Arizona Cardinals
2009
Brian Waters
Offensive guard
Kansas City Chiefs
2010
Madieu Williams
Safety
Minnesota Vikings
2011
Matt Birk
Center
Baltimore Ravens
2012
Jason Witten
Tight end
Dallas Cowboys
2013
Charles Tillman
Cornerback
Chicago Bears
2014
Thomas Davis
Linebacker
Carolina Panthers
2015
Anquan Boldin
Wide receiver
San Francisco 49ers
2016
Larry Fitzgerald and Eli Manning
Wide receiver and quarterback
Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants
2017
J.J. Watt
Defensive end
Houston Texans
2018
Chris Long
Defensive end
Philadelphia Eagles
2019
Calais Campbell
Defensive end
Jacksonville Jaguars
2020
Russell Wilson
Quarterback
Seattle Seahawks
2021
Andrew Whitworth
Offensive tackle
Los Angeles Rams
2022
Dak Prescott
Quarterback
Dallas Cowboys
2023
Cameron Heyward
Defensive tackle
Pittsburgh Steelers
When will this year's Walter Payton Man of the Year be announced?
Per the NFL, the winner will be announced during the league's annual awards show on Feb. 6.
