On Thursday, the Chicago Bears announced that DJ Moore was their winner of the 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which nominates him for the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which is the league’s most prestigious honor. The Award recognizes players who excel on the field and demonstrate a commitment to creating a positive impact beyond the game.

DJ Moore’s Moore2Life Foundation provides philanthropic support to nonprofit agencies that focus on programs that support socioeconomic development of inner-city youth. The Foundations’ efforts support health and wellness for Chicago’s youth, while providing educational resources and recreational initiatives to enhance their quality of life. A self-proclaimed “big kid,” DJ connects with children all over and has a strong passion for helping them whenever and however he can.

“The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is our league’s most revered honor, celebrating players for their excellence both on and off the field,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said earlier today via a press release. “These 32 men represent the best of the NFL, and the incredible contributions they make to their teams and communities every day continue to keep Walter’s legacy alive.”

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You can watch the Payton family, Moore’s family, and the Bears surprise DJ with the Award and nomination in the clip below.

In 2021, while with the Carolina Panthers, Moore was nominated for this prestigious honor, but he understands the importance of receiving it while wearing the Navy and Orange.

“It means a lot as a Bear because of how special it is to this organization,” Moore said via the team’s site. “Walter Payton was the best to do it, and I get to try and follow in his path. Just being a part of Walter Payton’s legacy with this nomination, and hopefully one day to win it, it’s a blessing. I get to bless others with my family and my foundation, so I’m very excited.”

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Moore and the other 31 club winners will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LX, with the winner being announced during NFL Honors, their primetime awards special airing on Thursday, Feb. 5.

Bears fans are once again encouraged to participate in Nationwide’s annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows them to show support for Moore. Fans can vote on X/Twitter by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with DJ Moore/@idjmoore or by voting directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. The charitable beneficiary of the player who receives the most collective hashtag mentions and online votes will win an additional $35,000 donation from Nationwide, with the nonprofit partners of the runner-up and third-place finishers receiving $10,000 and $5,000, respectively. Charity Challenge voting takes place from Dec. 4 through Jan. 5, 2026.

For more information about DJ Moore and his positive endeavors, you can check out the league’s profile of him here.