Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has been selected to represent the franchise as their nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award in 2021. This is now the third consecutive season that Mahomes has been nominated for the award by the Chiefs.
The award was first created in 2014 to honor late Pittsburgh Steelers founder and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Art Rooney. It’s awarded annually to the NFL player who best exemplifies qualities of on-field sportsmanship, fair play, respect for the game and peers, and integrity in competition. The NFL announced the nominees for all 32 teams for the eighth annual award on Thursday. You can view the full list of nominees here.
Patrick Mahomes has been nominated for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award!
This award is presented each year to an NFL player who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship and integrity. pic.twitter.com/JALk9VqGAT
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 9, 2021
How is the winner of the 2021 award determined? Eight finalists, four from each conference, will be selected by a panel of former NFL players. The panel includes Warrick Dunn, Larry Fitzgerald, Leonard Wheeler and Curtis Martin. From those eight finalists, players from each NFL team will submit a consensus vote for a winner. They’re not allowed to vote for their own teammates either, but only a player from another club. Whoever wins the award will also receive a donation of $25,000 from the NFL Foundation to the charity of his choice.
The winner will be announced during the NFL Honors ceremony ahead of Super Bowl LVI. The previous winners include: Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater (2020) Washington RB Adrian Peterson (2019), Saints QB Drew Brees (2018), Panthers LB Luke Kuechly (2017), Colts RB Frank Gore (2016), Raiders CB Charles Woodson (2015) and Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald (2014).
