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 2026 Off-Field Awards balloting is underway through May 15, with the winners announced May 26-29 and June 1-3.
The PFWA membership will vote on these Off-Field Awards:
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 2026 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 26: George Halas Award
Wednesday, May 27: Good Guy Award
Thursday, May 28: Bill Nunn Jr. Award
Friday, May 29: Horrigan Award
Monday, June 1: Pete Rozelle Award
Tuesday, June 2: Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award
Wednesday, June 3: Terez A. Paylor Emerging Writer Award
Here are the biographies of the 2026 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):
DC Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings — After three seasons as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Flores was fired after the 2021 season. He filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL and three teams, alleging racial discrimination. In the midst of the lawsuit, he was hired by Pittsburgh as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach in 2022. Flores has spent the last three seasons (2023-25) as Minnesota defensive coordinator. In February 2026, a U.S. District Court ruled that Flores’ lawsuit can be tried in open court, rather than arbitration overseen by the NFL.
EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions — In Week 6 of the 2024 season against Dallas, Hutchinson suffered a severe leg injury in the third quarter, fracturing both his tibia and fibula, ending a season where he produced 7.5 sacks through the first five games. He came back in 2025 to post a career-high 14.5 sacks, tied for the second-most in a season in franchise history, to go with 54 total tackles, 64 QB pressures and four forced fumbles. He was selected to the 2025 PFWA All-NFC team.
RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers — McCaffrey missed the entire 2024 preseason with calf and Achilles injuries before returning the active roster for Week 10. He played four games before a knee injury in Week 13 ended his season. He returned for the 2025 season, rushed for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns and caught a team-leading 102 passes for 924 yards and seven TDs. He was selected as the 2025 PFWA Comeback Player of the Year and voted to both the All-NFL and All-NFC teams.
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 2025 Dino Lucarelli Good Guy Award, the sixth time he has won the award (2017, 2018, 2021 [co-winner], 2023, 2024 and 2025). He is one of the top go-to players during media sessions in the Browns’ locker room over his 12 seasons with the franchise, speaking regularly to those covering the team closely.
S Kevin Byard III, Chicago Bears — Byard was presented with the 2025 Jeff Dickerson Good Guy Award by the Chicago chapter of the PFWA. Byard credited his mother with teaching him about morals and treating people with respect. He also won the first Eddie George Good Guy Award presented to a Titans player by the Tennessee PFWA chapter in 2022.
QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys — Prescott is one of the more accessible players in the league, especially at the quarterback position. He fulfills his regular media obligations and then some, and he also chats with local media in an off-the-record format to provide context. The Dallas PFWA chapter named their local Good Guy award for Prescott – the award’s winner in 2017 and 2019 – starting with the 2025 presentation.
Bill Nunn Jr. Award (Reporter who has made a long and distinguished contribution to pro football through coverage):
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.
Michael 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):
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 as the league’s chief spokesperson. 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.
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):
Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys are a finalist for the award for the third time in the last four seasons (2023, 2024, 2026), under the direction of Tad Carper, senior vice president of communications and his staff, facilitating access to club owner/president/GM Jerry Jones and first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer in one of the league’s busiest daily beats.
Minnesota Vikings — The 2018 Rozelle Award winners are a finalist for the second consecutive season. EVP & chief communications officer Jeff Anderson and the Vikings PR staff worked with local and national media as the club went from 14 victories the previous season to missing the playoffs and had a change at general manager after the season ended.
Seattle Seahawks — The two-time Rozelle Award winners (1992, 2008) are a finalist for the first time since 2014. after Seattle’s PR staff, led by chief communications officer Dave Pearson, managed media requests for a team that captured the franchise’s second Super Bowl title.
Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award (Lifetime achievement as an assistant coach in the NFL):
Vic Fangio — Fangio completed his second season as the Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator and his 39th NFL season overall in 2025 as one of the most respected defensive minds in the league. He has mentored five Pro Football Hall of Famers — Kevin Greene, Rickey Jackson, Ray Lewis, Sam Mills and Patrick Willis — and was selected as the PFWA NFL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018. After four years at the high school level and one season as a graduate assistant at North Carolina, Fangio broke into pro football as the defensive assistant for the USFL’s Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars (1984-85). He entered the NFL ranks as the linebackers coach with New Orleans (1986-94), where he tutored the famed “Dome Patrol”. He was the defensive coordinator for Carolina (1995-98) and served in that same role for Indianapolis (1999-2001) and Houston (2002-05). Fangio worked as special assistant to the head coach/defensive assistant for Baltimore (2006-08) and the Ravens’ linebackers coach (2009). He spent the 2010 season in college as Stanford’s defensive coordinator, before returning to the NFL as DC for San Francisco (2011-14) and Chicago (2015-18). Fangio was Denver’s head coach from 2019-21, where he called the defensive plays for the Broncos during those three seasons. After one season as a consultant for Philadelphia (2022), he returned to the sidelines as Miami’s defensive coordinator in 2023. He went back to the Eagles as DC in 2024, and his top-ranked defensive unit paved the way for Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX triumph. Fangio has coached in two Super Bowls (XLVII with San Francisco and LIX with Philadelphia).
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.
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):
Ashley Bastock, Cleveland Browns beat reporter, cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer — Bastock is a Browns beat reporter for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, a role she has held since October 2021. She was named Best Sports Feature Writer in the 2023 Ohio Associated Press Managing Editors contest. Her previous stops include the Akron Beacon Journal (2020–21), covering high schools and assisting with Cavaliers and Guardians coverage; Toledo Blade (2018–20) as the University of Michigan beat writer covering football and men’s basketball; and NBC News (2015–16), where the 2025 John Carroll University graduate worked as a production assistant on Meet the Press.
Giana Han, Baltimore Ravens beat reporter, Baltimore Banner — Han has covered the Ravens for the Baltimore Banner since the start of the 2023 season. After graduating from Penn State in 2019, she was AL.com’s Auburn University reporter (2019-21) and then the Flyers beat reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer (2021-23). While in Alabama, she gained experience covering a variety of sports as well as covering COVID-19 breaking news, Black Lives Matter, finance and economics.
Olivia Reiner, Philadelphia Eagles beat reporter, Philadelphia Inquirer — Reiner joined the Philadelphia Inquirer as the Eagles Beat Reporter in 2023. Before she joined the Eagles beat, she was the Flyers beat reporter at the Inquirer from 2021-23. Olivia earned NSMA Pennsylvania Sportswriter of the Year honors in 2023. Prior to joining the Inquirer, she was the sports multimedia reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (2019-21), where she covered the Packers, Brewers and Bucks. Her video coverage of the Packers earned 2019 APSE top ten honors. The 2018 Northwestern graduate also covered the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for USA Today.