Steelers Now
Linemen across the league will have some extra motivation this season. The NFL has introduced a new honor, the “Protector of the Year” award, which will recognize the league’s top offensive lineman. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
The award will be voted on by a panel that includes some of the best former offensive linemen. The announcement came from NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent, who credited former All-Pros Dion Dawkins and Andrew Whitworth for helping push the initiative forward.
Previously, the only major recognition for offensive linemen was team based. The NFL’s “Built Ford Tough Offensive Line of the Year” award honored entire units rather than individual players. That award was discontinued after the 2018 season.
This move is seen as a significant step forward in giving offensive linemen the individual recognition they deserve. Unlike skill position players, linemen don’t have easily measurable stats. The only consistent individual metric used to evaluate them comes from film-based grading platforms like Pro Football Focus.
The impact of the offensive line on team success is undeniable. In recent years, teams like the Philadelphia Eagles have shown the value of building through the trenches. On the other hand, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers in 2021 highlighted how even a quarterback as talented as Patrick Mahomes can struggle without proper protection.
Early candidates for the inaugural award include Penei Sewell and Tristan Wirfs, two of the top tackles in the game today. Isaac Seumalo made the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games, the only Pittsburgh Steelers lineman recognized for an end-of-season honor.
For decades, when fans tuned in to NFL games, few paid attention to the nuances of line play, like a left tackle handling an edge rusher’s swim move or a center and guard working a double team to the second level. With this new award, more fans may begin to appreciate the unsung heroes up front.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: NFL Introduces ‘Protector of the Year’ Award to Honor Top Linemen
