NFL Protector of the Year

Last updated
NFL Protector of the Year
Joe Thuney.JPG
Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney, 2025 recipient
Awarded forBest offensive lineman in the NFL
Presented byNational Football League
History
First award2025
Most recent Joe Thuney

The NFL Protector of the Year is an award given annually to the best offensive lineman in the National Football League. Introduced in the 2025 NFL season, it is presented annually as part of the NFL Honors.

Contents

History

Offensive linemen typically do not garner the same recognition as skill positions such as quarterback and running back, whom they are tasked with blocking for. The NFL also acknowledged that they are "the only players who aren’t eligible for most on-field awards." [1]

Various accolades have existed to celebrate the league's offensive linemen. The National 1,000 Yard Club, a foundation honoring players who ran for over one thousand yards in a season, awarded the Outstanding Blocker of the Year starting with the 1964 season and through 1977. [2] [3] Celebrated as a "long overdue award" upon its creation, [4] individual linemen as well as offensive lines as a whole were recognized. [2] [5]

The NFL Players Association gave out the Offensive Lineman of the Year from 1967 to 1999, while NFL Alumni did so from 1982 to 2010. [3] Forrest Gregg, who received the inaugural NFLPA award, [6] was the name for a similar honor given by the Pro Football Writers of America's Wisconsin chapter between 1970 and 1982. [3] Others included Football Digest 's Offensive Lineman of the Year from 1973 to 1984, [3] Seagram's Sports Awards from 1974 to 1986, [3] [7] and Pro Football Focus' Bruce Matthews Award since 2013. [8] The Seagram award was determined by a panel of offensive and defensive line coaches. [9] [10] [11]

From 2009 to 2012, the Madden Most Valuable Protectors award was given to the best offensive line; [12] a weekly honor was also bestowed by namesake John Madden. [13] The Built Ford Tough Offensive Line of the Year, another unit-specific trophy, was awarded at the NFL Honors from 2016 to 2018. [14]

The Protector of the Year was created by Buffalo Bills tackle Dion Dawkins, who proclaimed he "won't stop fighting to give offensive linemen the respect and recognition we deserve." [1] Dawkins had been vocal since the 2024 season about having an award for linemen, and he pitched the idea to league commissioner Roger Goodell at a Super Bowl LIX party. [15] The award was first given at the 15th NFL Honors to Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney. [16]

Selection process

The award is decided by a panel of retired offensive linemen. The panel nominates five players as finalists before selecting a winner. [1]

Five criteria are taken into account when choosing a winner: [1]

Winners

SeasonPlayerPositionTeamRef
2025 Joe Thuney Guard Chicago Bears [17]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "New Protector of the Year Award to Honor Offensive Linemen". National Football League . May 21, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Kramer Named NFL Outstanding Blocker of Year". Green Bay Press-Gazette . May 23, 1968. Retrieved January 27, 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Turney, John (February 10, 2025). "Bills' Dawkins Wants to Win This Award. One Problem: It No Longer Exists". MSN . Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  4. ↑ Livingston, Pat (February 19, 1965). "Panthers On Trail Of Two Outstanding School Floor Stars". The Pittsburgh Press . Retrieved January 27, 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Sports scene". Fort Worth Star-Telegram . June 2, 1978. Retrieved January 27, 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Best in the NFL Are Selected". Santa Barbara News-Press . AP. June 6, 1968. Retrieved January 27, 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Transactions". The Arizona Republic . February 28, 1983. Retrieved January 26, 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Walsh, Christopher (August 20, 2023). "Bama in the NFL: Philadelphia Eagles Soaring with Latest Alabama Flock". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  9. ↑ Williams, Marty (February 17, 1982). "Munoz receives a $5,000 toast". Dayton Daily News . Retrieved January 26, 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Taylor, Stephenson earn Seagram awards". Pensacola News Journal . AP. March 1, 1985. Retrieved January 26, 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Fisher, Mike (January 21, 1989). "Munoz regarded with best linemen". Chillicothe Gazette . Retrieved January 26, 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Inman, Cam (January 30, 2013). "Offensive line wins Madden's Most Valuable Protectors Award". Mercury News . Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  13. ↑ "John Madden awards Giants' offensive line". New York Giants . October 18, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  14. ↑ Davenport, Turron (February 3, 2018). "Eagles unit named Built Ford Tough Offensive Line of the Year". USA Today . Eagles Wire. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  15. ↑ Getzenberg, Alaina (May 24, 2025). "Bills' Dawkins recalls how Protector of the Year award came to be". ESPN.com . ESPN . Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  16. ↑ Shook, Nick (February 5, 2026). "Bears OL Joe Thuney wins first-ever NFL Protector of the Year award". National Football League . Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Bears' Joe Thuney Takes First NFL Protector of the Year Award". Chicago Bears On SI. 2026-02-06. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
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