Each year, the members of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) vote for several off-field awards given to people working in or associated with the NFL. The 2025 Off-Field Awards balloting is underway through May 21, with the winners announced May 27-30 and June 2-4.
The Off-Field Awards the PFWA membership will vote on:
George Halas Award (NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed)
Good Guy Award (NFL player for his qualities and professional style in helping pro football writers do their jobs)
Bill Nunn Jr. Award (Reporter who has made a long and distinguished contribution to pro football through coverage)
Horrigan Award (League or club official for his or her qualities and professional style in helping the pro football writers do their job)
Pete Rozelle Award (NFL club public relations staff that consistently strives for excellence in its dealings and relationships with the media)
Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award (Lifetime achievement as an assistant coach in the NFL)
Terez A. Paylor Emerging Writer Award (Young NFL writer who carries on the legacy of Paylor through his or her work ethic, professionalism, and dedication to the craft and commitment to improving diversity in NFL media)
The 2025 PFWA Off-Field Awards announcement schedule (release time 1 pm ET each day on ProFootballWriters.org, @PFWAwriters on X/Twitter and by email to members and media outlets)
Tuesday, May 27: George Halas Award
Wednesday, May 28: Good Guy Award
Thursday, May 29: Bill Nunn Jr. Award
Friday, May 30: Horrigan Award
Monday, June 2: Pete Rozelle Award
Tuesday, June 3: Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award
Wednesday, June 4: Terez A. Paylor Emerging Writer Award
Here are the biographies of the 2025 finalists in each category. The links go to the individual page for each award, with overall information, winners and finalists from each year listed.
George Halas Award (NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed):
QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals — Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in the 10th game of the 2023 season, which required surgery and an extensive rehab process. He returned to action in time to start the 2024 preseason opener, and went on to set Cincinnati regular season team records while leading the NFL in passing attempts (652), completions (460), passing yards (4918) and TD passes (43). He was twice named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month (November, December/January) and was the PFWA’s 2024 Comeback Player of the Year.
RB Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns — Chubb missed a majority of the 2023 season after a torn MCL and a damaged ACL to his knee. He started the 2024 season on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list for the first four weeks. He was designated to return to practice October 2, and was activated prior to Week 7, when he scored a TD against Cincinnati at home. He suffered another season-ending injury, this time a broken foot in Week 15 against Kansas City.
QB Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings — Darnold toiled as a backup to Brock Purdy during the 2023 season with San Francisco, as the 49ers advanced to Super Bowl LVIII. Darnold signed with Minnesota in March 2024, and was elevated to the starting spot after a season-ending injury to J.J. McCarthy in the preseason. Darnold threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and a 102.5 passer rating. He was voted as the PFWA’s 2024 Most Improved Player of the Year.
RB J.K. Dobbins, Los Angeles Chargers — Dobbins had his 2023 season with Baltimore shortened by a torn Achilles tendon in Week 1, and he signed with the Chargers in the 2024 offseason. He set several single-season career highs with 905 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns and 1,058 scrimmage yards in 13 games. He posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances to begin the season. He suffered an MCL sprain in Week 12 vs. Baltimore, and missed four weeks before returning for Weeks 17-18.
Good Guy Award (NFL player for his qualities and professional style in helping pro football writers do their jobs):
G Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns — Bitonio was voted by the Cleveland PFWA chapter as the winner of the 2024 Dino Lucarelli Good Guy Award, the fifth time he has won the award (2017, 2018, 2021 [co-winner], 2023 and 2024). He is one of the top go-to players during media sessions in the Browns’ locker room over his 11 seasons with the franchise, speaking regularly to those covering the team closely.
DE Brandon Graham, Philadelphia Eagles — Graham thoughtfully answers questions, even as the media line at his locker at the NovaCare Complex grows. For local reporters, he has long been a go-to quote. Graham is not only readily available during open locker room, but he gives insight into the Eagles and NFL-related issues, no matter how sensitive the subject. It takes national reporters who come into Philly little time to figure out which Eagles player is most accommodating.
WR Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders — McLaurin won the Washington PFWA chapter’s Good Guy Award for four consecutive seasons (2000-23), the most by any player in franchise history. He has endured many tough seasons in Washington, but he has never shied away from difficult questions. He is detailed and thoughtful with his answers and almost never turns down interview requests. His once-a-week group availabilities are always followed by individual sessions, and he regularly talks during the days in between.
LB Bobby Wagner, Washington Commanders — Wagner was the Washington PFWA chapter’s 2024 Good Guy Award winner for on-record interviews as well as casual off-record conversations. His respect for local media and understanding of reporters’ jobs helped him develop a strong and immediate rapport with those covering the team on a daily basis. He was also the Commanders’ 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee.
Bill Nunn Jr. Award (Reporter who has made a long and distinguished contribution to pro football through coverage):
Mary Kay Cabot — Cabot has covered the Cleveland Browns for 36 years for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com. She became one of the first main full-time female beat writers in the NFL, and Cabot has remained one of the sport’s aggressive news breakers on the beat. She has been an at-large member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s selection committee for the past decade. She was voted the 2015 Ohio Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association and the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors Sportswriter of the Year in 2024. Cabot was inducted into the Cleveland Press Club Hall of Fame in 2022.
Clarence Hill Jr. — Hill has covered the Dallas Cowboys since 1997, spending 27 of those years with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram before moving to AllDLLS.com before the start of the 2024 season. He is the longest-tenured beat writer covering the Cowboys franchise and the last seven head coaches along with owner Jerry Jones. He worked for the Star-Telegram for 29 years, first as a high school sports coordinator for two years before moving to the Cowboys beat.
Mike Silver — Silver has covered the NFL since 1990, and he currently a NFL senior writer for The Athletic. He previously worked at Sports Illustrated (1994-2007), where he wrote more than 70 cover stories, as well as Yahoo! Sports (2007-13), NFL Network (2013-21) and the San Francisco Chronicle (2022-24), where he was chosen by the Society of Professional Journalists as the 2022 national sports columnist of the year. He began his career as a sports writer and columnist for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, where he covered the 49ers from 1990-94. Silver also covered the 49ers for the Sacramento Union and served as a correspondent for Pro Football Weekly and The Sporting News. He is the author of five books.
Barry Wilner — Wilner covered the NFL for The Associated Press from 1985 until his retirement in July 2022. He helped lead and organize the national and local coverage while also covering the league’s news and events on a national scale. He also regularly broke stories for the AP during that time, using his numerous connections he made in league circles. Wilner first covered the New York Jets as the AP’s beat writer from 1985-2004. He added national duties in 1988, also covering NFL-wide news and events, while also staying on top of the Jets beat. Wilner switched to covering the NFL as a whole in 2005, and he eventually took over as the AP’s point man for all things NFL when the late Dave Goldberg retired in 2009, and he served in that role until his retirement. He staffed 36 Super Bowls for AP, oversaw the AP postseason awards voting and is a longtime Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee member.
Horrigan Award (League, club or other official for his or her qualities and professional style in helping the pro football writers do their job):
President Kevin Demoff, Los Angeles Rams — Demoff was a driving force in the push to bring a Super Bowl to Los Angeles and the Rams’ championship run after the 2021 regular season, as well as helping to bring the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games to the city. Local and national media have come to rely on Demoff’s candid opinions on a variety of issues related to the team and the league.
GM John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers — In a Hall of Fame career that lasted 15 seasons, Lynch became known as one of the best talkers in the game. That has continued into his eight-season career as the 49ers’ general manager. He is as quotable as he is accessible, making as much news as any general manger in the league.
VP, Communications Brian McCarthy, NFL — McCarthy, who joined the NFL in 1994, facilitates national and local media requests on a variety of topics. He serves as the point on off-the-field matters ranging from league policies to stadium issues to personal conduct matters. He has helped promote the league’s events, such as the combine, draft, schedule release, and turned them into marquee programs.
Head Coach Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings — O’Connell stands out from his coaching peers because of his openness and helpfulness with reporters. He routinely gives one-on-one interviews, meets regularly with beat writers for off-the-record discussions, provides thoughtful explanations for his decisions after games, and he creates an environment for both players and assistant coaches – like Grant Udinski, the assistant QB coach who became the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator – feel free to tell their stories.
EVP, Football Operations Troy Vincent, NFL — Since 2014, Vincent has been the league’s point man for on-field issues, including rules changes and adjustments. He also has become an important voice in promoting diversity hiring for teams and for the NFL.
Pete Rozelle Award (NFL club public relations staff that consistently strives for excellence in its dealings and relationships with the media):
Denver Broncos — A three-time Rozelle Award winner (1990, 2014 and 2016), the Broncos are a finalist for the award for the first time since 2022, under the direction of Patrick Smyth, chief communications officer and his staff, facilitating access to head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton as the Broncos made the AFC playoff field for the first time since the 2015 season.
Detroit Lions — The 2023 Rozelle Award winners are a finalist again after Detroit’s PR staff, led by director of football communications Eamonn Reynolds, managed media requests for a team that earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed under general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell.
Minnesota Vikings — The 2018 Rozelle Award winners are a finalist for the first time since 2023. EVP & chief communications officer Jeff Anderson and the Vikings PR staff worked with local and national media as the club won 14 games under head coach Kevin O’Connell (a 2024 Horrigan Award finalist) and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Washington Commanders — A Rozelle finalist for the first time since 2022, the Commanders PR group, led by director of football communications Sean DeBarbieri, managed the national media crush as Washington advanced to the NFC Championship Game behind a new head coach (Dan Quinn) and general manager (Adam Peters).
Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award (Lifetime achievement as an assistant coach in the NFL) — TWO RECIPIENTS IN 2025:
Thomas Catlin — Catlin, a long-time defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, began his coaching career with the Dallas Texans in the early days of the AFL. Known for his stoic demeanor and penchant for precision – Chuck Knox once said “no one was going to be out of alignment’’ – Catlin’s career spanned three decades, 19 of those alongside Knox. In Catlin’s 10 years as the Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach or defensive coordinator, Kenny Easley won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1984 and Cortez Kennedy was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. The Seahawks 1991 defense allowed just 261 points, which was a franchise record for a 16-game season until the Super Bowl winning 2013 Seahawks allowed 231. He spent five seasons as Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator, 12 as the Los Angeles Rams linebackers coach after he had started his coaching career with the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL. After Catlin’s death in 2008 from complications from surgery, former Seahawks defensive tackle Joe Nash said: “He dissected the other team, and he got us so well prepared. It was almost like he knew what they were doing before they knew what they were doing.”
Floyd Peters — Peters, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle as a player, served as an assistant coach in the NFL – mostly as a defensive coordinator – for 23 seasons. His first stop, after a final season as a player/coach with Washington in 1970, was with the Miami Dolphins as a scout who assisted with the defense (1971-73). That was followed by stints with the New York Giants (1974-75), San Francisco (1976-77), Detroit (1978-81), St. Louis Cardinals (1982-85), Minnesota (1986-1990), Tampa Bay (1991-94) and Oakland (1995-96). Peters – a.k.a. Sgt. Rock – had a big impact as a defensive coach. From the “Gold Rush” in San Francisco, to the “Silver Rush” in Detroit, to those record-setting lines in St. Louis and Minnesota, Peters found the best way to use his personnel wherever he went.
Richie Petitbon — After a 14-year NFL career as a safety in which he was voted to the Pro Bowl four times and had 48 career interceptions, Petitbone moved into the coaching ranks with the Houston Oilers (1974-77) as a defensive backs coach under Sid Gillman and Bum Phillips. He moved on to Washington in 1978 as the defensive backs coach, and in 1981, Petitbon was promoted to defensive coordinator under new head coach Joe Gibbs. He served as defensive coordinator/assistant head coach through 1992, during a time when the Redskins won three Super Bowls (XVII, XXII and XXVI). In a strike-shortened 1982 season, Washington allowed the fewest points and the fourth fewest yards of any team in the NFL despite having just one defensive Pro Bowler. The 1991 team allowed the second fewest points and the third fewest yards on the way to the Super Bowl XXVI title. Petitbon succeeded Gibbs as head coach and served one season (1993). Petitbon is one of only three people to have participated in all five of Washington’s Super Bowl appearances as either a player or coach, and he was inducted into the franchise’s Ring of Fame in 2015.
Terry Robiskie — Robiskie coached for 39 seasons in the NFL. After a five-year NFL playing career, the began his coaching career in 1982 with the Los Angeles Raiders as a special teams assistant and spent 12 seasons with the Raiders, including five (1989-93) as offensive coordinator. He moved to Washington and spent seven seasons with the Redskins (1994-2000), including serving as interim head coach in 2000. He worked six seasons (2001-06) with Cleveland, and he once again served as an interim head coach, completing 2004 for the Browns after his promotion to offensive coordinator earlier that year. He was a wide receivers coach for Miami (2007) and Atlanta (2008-15), before he returned to a offensive coordinator role for Tennessee (2016-17). After one season with Buffalo (2018) as wide receivers coach, his final two years were spent with Jacksonville (2019-20) as running backs coach. His experience spanned decades and eras, and few coaches knew the passing game better. Among the players he coached: Marcus Allen, Stephen Davis, Julio Jones and Roddy White. Robiskie coached in one Super Bowl (XVIII), winning the title with the Raiders.
Jeff Stoutland — Stoutland completed his 12th season with Philadelphia and his 42nd as a pro or college coach in 2024. The Eagles’ run game coordinator/offensive line coach has developed some of the NFL’s best offensive lines, tutoring Pro Bowl players during each of his 12 seasons with the Eagles – becoming the first O-line coach since the 1970 merger to produce Pro Bowlers in 12 consecutive seasons. Stoutland has assisted five players to 15 All-Pro honors – Lane Johnson (2017, ’21-24), Jason Kelce (2017-19, ’21-23), Jordan Mailata (2024), Mathis (2013) and Jason Peters (2013-14). Under Stoutland’s tutelage, Kelce became the first center in NFL history to win a Super Bowl Championship and collect six first-team All-Pro accolades during their career. His lines have helped set numerous Eagles team records including rushing TDs (32 in 2022; tied-fourth in NFL history), rushing yards (3,048 in 2021), and the line blocked for two NFL-leading rushers – LeSean McCoy (2013) and Saquon Barkley (2024). Prior to his time in Philadelphia, Stoutland coached in college at Alabama, Miami (Fla.), Michigan State, Syracuse, Cornell and Southern Connecticut State.
John Teerlinck — Considered one of the greatest defensive line coaches in NFL history, Teerlinck worked for NFL teams over 23 seasons. He began his NFL coaching career with Cleveland (1989-90), and he followed with stops with the Los Angeles Rams (1991), Minnesota (1992-94), Detroit (1995-96), Denver (1997-2001) and Indianapolis (2002-11). He coached 31 Pro Bowl players and four defensive MVPs. Dwight Freeney, who had 107.5 sacks in 11 seasons under Teerlinck with the Colts, said, “He was an innovator, and his teachings were way ahead of his time.” He coached in four Super Bowls (XXXII, XXXIII with Denver and XLI, XLIV with Indianapolis), and was part of three title teams – two with the Broncos and one with the Colts. The NFL’s best defensive line coach award is named after Teerlinck.
Terez A. Paylor Emerging Writer Award (Young NFL writer who carries on the legacy of Paylor through his or her work ethic, professionalism, and dedication to the craft and commitment to improving diversity in NFL media):
Ben Arthur, AFC South reporter, Fox Sports — Ben covers the AFC South for Fox Sports and previously covered the Tennessee Titans for The Tennessean for two seasons. He also covered the Seattle Seahawks for Seattlepi.com for two years. The multimedia journalist delivers insightful work that not only includes quality game coverage, but also shows the human side of athletes.
Katherine Fitzgerald, Buffalo Bills beat reporter, Buffalo News — Fitzgerald is the Bills beat writer for the Buffalo News. She previously was a sports reporter for the Arizona Republic and USA Today. Fitzgerald has covered Olympic sports in addition to her NFL coverage.
Daniel Oyefusi, Cleveland Browns beat reporter, ESPN — Oyefusi is the Cleveland Browns beat reporter for ESPN’s NFL Nation since April 2024. Prior to his ESPN work, he was the Miami Dolphins beat reporter for the Miami Herald from 2021-24, where he received a top-10 finish in the 2022 APSE contest for coverage of Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the Dolphins and the NFL. Prior to that, he covered the Ravens and other breaking sports news for the Baltimore Sun.
Kris Rhim, Los Angeles Chargers beat reporter, ESPN — Rhim has been the Chargers beat writer for ESPN since September 2023. He also worked for the Baltimore Banner covering the Ravens and was a feature writer for the Atlanta Falcons. Earlier in his career, Rhim was a New York Times Sports Reporting Fellow and an intern for the Boston Globe.
