Baker Mayfield Named Tampa Bay’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Nominee for Community Work

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked quarterback Baker Mayfield as their club winner on Wednesday. The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is the league's top honor for players who help their communities and perform well on the field. This marks Mayfield's first nomination.

"Being recognized for this award alongside the best in our league is an extraordinary honor," said Mayfield in a statement, per Buccaneers.com. "Our responsibility as professional athletes and NFL players extends far beyond what we do on the field, and it is incredibly humbling to be considered for Walter Payton Man of the Year."

Each club winner will get up to $40,000 for a charity they choose. The overall winner receives a $250,000 donation. The NFL Foundation and Nationwide Foundation provide all donations.

Mayfield arrived in Tampa during 2023. He and his wife Emily started the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation. Their first Be the Ball event has pulled in nearly $600,000 across the last three years. That money went to the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County to boost early childhood learning.

Last year, a Florida high school lacked enough equipment for their football team to play. The Pro Bowler jumped in. He gave $17,900 for new shoulder pads and helmets to the Space Coast Vipers. Those Vipers won their first state title, taking home the 2024 SSAA 1A State Championship.

The foundation announced their Walk-On Scholarship in May for walk-on student athletes. They've awarded two $10,000 scholarships to active walk-on student athletes. Each can be renewed for up to three more years.

After the 2024 hurricane season hit, the team captain donated $50,000 to Team Rubicon. That's a veteran-led disaster relief organization. He started working with Meals on Wheels back in 2017 at the University of Oklahoma and still does today.

During his years with the Cleveland Browns, he hosted an annual Passing the Joy event at a local Boys & Girls Club. He did this all four seasons. He also volunteers with Special Olympics.

On the field, the quarterback has posted career-highs in completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and completion percentage since joining Tampa Bay. He became the only quarterback in franchise history selected to multiple Pro Bowls. He earned the nod in both 2023 and 2024.

Fans can vote on X by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with mentioning the nominee or by voting straight on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. Charity Challenge voting runs from Thursday, Dec. 4 through Monday, Jan. 5.

The winner of the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced during NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 5. If he wins, he would become just the second Buc ever to win the award, joining Derrick Brooks, who was honored in 2000.