For the third year in a row and fourth time overall, a Kansas City Chiefs nominee for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year presented by Nationwide finished first in Nationwide’s Charity Challenge. Thanks to a strong show of support by Chiefs Kingdom, Patrick Mahomes was announced as the winner of the eighth annual Charity Challenge and a $25,000 contribution will be made to 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, courtesy of Nationwide. Previous Chiefs winners include Tyrann Mathieu (2021-22), Travis Kelce (2020-21) and Eric Berry, who won the inaugural Charity Challenge during the 2015-16 NFL season.

The 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, which was established by Mahomes in 2019, is dedicated to improving the lives of children through initiatives that focus on health, wellness, under-resourced communities and other charitable causes. The foundation’s signature program, 15 FOR 15, supports 15 youth charitable initiatives with an emphasis on academics, science, the arts, classroom supplies, athletics, children with disabilities, after-school programs and more. 

“It is a tremendous honor to win this year’s Charity Challenge,” said Mahomes. “Since before I joined the League, it has been a goal of mine to make a lasting impact on the communities that have given so much to me. Brittany and I are forever grateful for the continued support and passion that we receive from Chiefs Kingdom both on and off the field. Thank you to all of the incredible fans that voted for me for this honor and the continued support for our efforts with 15 and the Mahomies. Together, we are making a lasting impact on kids in underserved communities.”

Nationwide is the presenting sponsor of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award which is given to the player who demonstrates excellence on the field and in his community. Nationwide launched Charity Challenge to further elevate and promote the work that each of the 32 nominees are doing to improve the lives of others. The Twitter promotion, which ran from Dec. 6, 2022 to Jan. 11, 2023, gave NFL fans the opportunity rally around their favorite nominees and offer players a chance to earn donations from Nationwide to benefit their charity of choice.

“Nationwide’s Charity Challenge is a friendly competition for additional charitable dollars, but the contest also serves to showcase the causes that inspire these players,” said Jim McCoy, associate vice president of sports marketing at Nationwide. “Congratulations to Patrick for winning this year’s Challenge and thanks to all of the fans who participated in support of their favorite nominees.”

Washington Commanders offensive tackle Charles Leno finished second in voting while Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins finished third. Nationwide will contribute $10,000 to the charity of Leno’s choice and $5,000 to Dawkins’ designated beneficiary. This marks the second consecutive year that a Bills player finished among the top three. Last year, Harrison Phillips (now with Minnesota) also finished third.

The 2022 NFL season marks the ninth year of Nationwide’s sponsorship of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. Since 2014, Nationwide has contributed more than $1.5 million to the charitable foundations represented by the various nominees.

The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide will be announced during the NFL Honors broadcast on Thursday, February 9, the week of Super Bowl LVII, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

For more information on the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide, please visit www.nfl.com/manoftheyear.