Eagles’ Jordan Mailata nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

The Philadelphia Eagles have announced Jordan Mailata as a nominee for the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide. The award is the league’s most prestigious honor, recognizing players who excel on the field and demonstrate a commitment to making a positive impact beyond the game.

Beginning Week 14 and continuing through the end of the season, Mailata will wear a special Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field. All 32 team nominees will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara. The national winner of the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special airing on Thursday, February 5.

Eagles’ owner Jeffrey Lurie said this about Mailata.

“Jordan Mailata’s recognition as a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year club winner is truly well deserved and speaks to his profound impact, both on and off the field,” said Jeffrey Lurie, Chairman and CEO, Philadelphia Eagles. “One of the highest honors bestowed upon players in the National Football League, this award celebrates those who proudly represent their teams with class and dignity – all in the name of the great Walter Payton. We congratulate Jordan and thank him for always being a person of high character who leads with kindness, compassion, and integrity.”

Since arriving in Philadelphia in 2018 as a seventh-round draft pick, Mailata has been active in supporting a wide range of charitable organizations.

Mailata has leveraged his platform and natural talents to make a positive impact in creative ways. He is a gifted singer, and along with Eagles Legends Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce, he has recorded three holiday albums: *A Philly Special Christmas* (2022), *A Philly Special Christmas Special* (2023), and *A Philly Special Christmas Party* (2024). These albums have collectively raised over $10 million for local charities. In 2024, the musical trio initiated an ambitious project called Operation Snowball, which aimed to provide every student in the Philadelphia public school system with a present, funded by the proceeds from their third album.

The nominee for each team will receive $40,000, while the nonprofit chosen by the overall national winner will receive $250,000. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and the Nationwide Foundation.

Fans are once again encouraged to participate in Nationwide’s annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows fans to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year club winner. Eagles fans can vote for Mailata on X by posting #WPMOYChallenge with his last name (Mailata) or X handle (@jordan_mailata). Fans can also vote directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. The charitable beneficiary of the player who receives the most collective hashtag mentions and online votes will win an additional $35,000 donation from Nationwide, with the nonprofit partners of the runner-up and third-place finishers receiving $10,000 and $5,000, respectively. Charity Challenge voting runs from Thursday, December 4, to Monday, January 5, 2026.

Since the award’s inception in 1970, the Eagles have had three players earn the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award (2018 – Chris Long; 2002 – Troy Vincent; 1980 – Harold Carmichael).