NFL Introduces ‘Protector of the Year’ Award’

Offensive Linemen already shnow who to thank for getting an end-of-year award for their position group. After Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins called for a ‘Protector of the Year’ accolade earlier this year, the NFL made it official today and kept the award title that Dawkins conjured.

The award will be voted on by a panel of former and current NFL linemen, which gives it an extra layer of credibility, not relying on media members who may not understand the nuanced impact and skills offensive linemen can possess.

The award seeks to credit the big men up front in the same vein that skill players do at the end of a season. As Dawkins mentioned in January, “all those titles are reflections…