The NFL is introducing the Protector of the 12 months Award, which can be given to the league’s greatest offensive lineman, it was introduced on the league’s spring assembly Wednesday.
The winner can be determined by a panel that features plenty of former offensive line greats.
NFL govt vice chairman of soccer operations Troy Vincent gave credit score to Buffalo Payments left sort out Dion Dawkins and retired offensive sort out Andrew Whitworth for pushing for the creation of the award.
Dawkins wrote that “Historical past was made in the present day,” in a submit to X and thanked “everybody concerned.”
Historical past was made in the present day. One thing that beginning with an Concept and a Dialog and Now the “Protector Of The 12 months” Award is Right here and Right here to Keep. Thanks to Everybody concerned. At present WE made Historical past #YouAlreadyShnow #ProtectorOfTheYear #historical past pic.twitter.com/qzYl7rY8xZ
— Dion Dawkins (@DDawkins66) Might 21, 2025
Dawkins had talked about wanting an award to acknowledge offensive linemen in January, through the week earlier than the AFC Championship Sport.
“… Offensive linemen haven’t got awards for being nice. There’s not a protector of the 12 months award. I am knocking at so many doorways now to get this award going, and I will head spear it and make it possible for this will get completed earlier than I am completed enjoying, as a result of there’s so many greats, there’s so many greats. And if we now have nice quarterbacks, we now have nice working backs, we now have speeding titles, we now have quarterback passing titles. All these titles are reflections of the outdated linemen, that are the protectors and shortly [it’ll] come,” he mentioned.
Whitworth additionally took to X to react to information of the award coming to fruition.
“This award means the whole lot to the large guys up entrance. The Protector of the 12 months is not nearly stats-it’s in regards to the mindset, grit, and management it takes to be the inspiration of a soccer crew,” Whitworth posted to X. “It is time the boys who lead, defend, and by no means ask for credit score are acknowledged because the spine of this recreation!”
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor and Alaina Getzenberg contributed to this report.
