The NFL has a new award for offensive linemen, and the Kansas City Chiefs have a prime candidate to land it. It’s called the “Protector of the Year” award, and the Chiefs’ candidate to snag the inaugural version is center Creed Humphrey, who’s been named one of six finalists per a report on NFL.com and a piece written by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
The award has been championed by Buffalo Bills tackle Dion Dawkins in recent years, and the winner will be announced at NFL Honors during Super Bowl week in Santa Clara.
The panel who will be doing the voting makes this award look very legit, at least on the surface. It consists of a group of former offensive linemen that includes Miami Dolphins center Aaron Brewer, New Orleans Saints center LeCharles Bentley, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, New York Giants guard Shaun O’Hara, Chicago Bears tackle Orlando Pace, Chiefs guard Will Shields, and Los Angeles Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth.
The finalists are equally impressive. They include Humphrey, Denver Broncos linemen Garrett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz, Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell, and left guard Joe Thuney, who also played for the Chiefs for several seasons.
No details on the voting process were released—e.g., presumably there won't be reputation votes or votes for franchise favorites when voters played for the same team as a candidate— but according to NFL.com, the award will be based on performance exclusively during the 2025 season. The league also listed these six criteria, though no further information was listed about specific metrics, grading, etc.:
1 Quality of competition (quality and consistency of defensive fronts faced)
2 Availability to teammates (presence on the field, leadership)
3 Durability (ability to meet the physical demands of the season)
4 Weekly consistency (sustained performance across the full schedule)
5 Video validation (film review confirming execution, technique, and situational impact)
6 Football analytics (advanced metrics tied to pass protection, run blocking, discipline, and team efficiency)
"The offensive line carries the weight of the game. Durability, endurance, leadership and consistency define their work, even when the spotlight rarely finds them," said Troy Vincent Sr., NFL executive vice president of football operations. "Protector of the Year is about recognizing the vital role these tremendous athletes play and celebrating excellence where it starts, up front."
Regardless of the criteria, Humphrey stands an excellent chance of winning this award, although it’s hard to assess the degree of the Chiefs drop-off this year will affect the voting. He made first team All-Pro for the second straight time this season, and he’s made the Pro Bowl three times. Humphrey has anchored lines that have won the Super Bowl twice, and his film breakdown and advance metrics are annually among the best in the league. He's going up against some tough competition, but if the voting process is legitimate, this is an award offensive linemen will fight hard to win on an annual basis going forward.