Broncos LT Garett Bolles Nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles is having one of the best years of his career. Bolles' break-out season came in 2020, and he's been a solid NFL left tackle since that turning point campaign that earned him All-Pro honors. 

With his success, Bolles has also become more and more involved in community outreach and charity. For his efforts, he's been named as the Broncos' nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, it was announced on Tuesday. 

The award is one of the NFL's most prestigious honors, meant to recognize a player's outstanding leadership on and off the field, especially in the community. Each of the NFL's 32 teams selects one nominee, and the national winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year award will be announced during NFL Honors on Thursday, February 8, ahead of Super Bowl LVIII. 

John Elway is the only Bronco who's gone on to win the national award back in 1992, but recent nominees include former offensive lineman Dalton Risner (2022), safety Justin Simmons (2019-21), former rush linebacker Von Miller (2018), and former cornerback Chirs Harris, Jr. (2017). The award was first bestowed in 1970 and was renamed after the late Payton in 1999 — the Chicago Bears Hall-of-Fame running back. 

Like his fellow nominees across the NFL, Bolles will wear a decal on his helmet through the end of the season to recognize his efforts and accomplishments on and off the field. The players who've won the national award wear a Man of the Year patch on their jerseys in perpetuity. 

Bolles will receive up to a $55,000 donation to his charity of choice, while the national winner gets five times that at $250,000, made possible by the NFL Foundation and Nationwide. 

At 31 years old, Bolles is in his seventh season. Drafted with the No. 20 overall pick in the first round back in 2017, he earned PFWA All-Rookie honors and a second-team All-Pro nod in 2020. 

The former Utah Ute will have little time to stop and smell the Man of the Year roses, as the 6-6 Broncos still have five games left in the season and an opportunity to earn a playoff berth for the first time since the 2015 season. Bolles is having a good year, and the Broncos will need him to continue playing at a high level down the stretch.