Derrick Henry and Tyrann Mathieu, 2020 All-Pro players, are among the 32 men chosen as finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.

Each of the teams nominated one player for the prestigious honor named for the late Payton, a Hall of Fame running back for the Bears. The award recognizes a player for community service and excellence on the field. It has been given annually since 1970 and will be presented at NFL Honors, the TV show during which The Associated Press reveals its individual seasonal award winners.

Titans running back Henry, last season’s Offensive Player of the Year, currently is sidelined by a broken right foot. He was chosen by Tennessee for such work as making a $10,000 donation from his Two All Foundation to Jeremy Taylor, a Nashville firefighter who lost his family home and all their belongings in a fire.

For the fourth consecutive year, Henry hosted a back-to-school event in his hometown of Yulee, Florida. Through his Two All Foundation, Derrick donated school supplies, backpacks, and bicycles to 200 kids. In September, he worked with the Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee to host a back-to-school event that through foundation sponsors and personal donations from Henry met B&GC’s goal of providing 5,000 backpacks full of school supplies to children in need, including $50 gift cards for 25 children the club identified as the most in need. He hosted those 25 youngsters for an in-person, back-to-school shopping day with additional $100 gift cards, reflecting on his youth involvement in a Boys & Girls Club.

Mathieu, the Chiefs’ standout safety, was nominated for restarting initiatives during the pandemic. This spring, he activated a “Tyrann’s Teachers” surprise and delight along with board members of his Tyrann Mathieu Foundation. Gift baskets were delivered to 32 teachers in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The teachers were selected through a nomination process on the foundation’s website as students, colleagues, friends, and family submitted their favorite teacher by writing an essay detailing the positive impact teachers have left on the Kansas City community.

As the NFL season began, Mathieu and his foundation held their annual “Back 2 School” shopping spree. For the second year, Mathieu and some teammates surprised 32 underprivileged youngsters ages 6-17 from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kansas City for a night of shopping and dinner. In addition, each child received a special Nike backpack filled with essentials. He also held his annual “Tyrann’s Turkeys” food distribution around Thanksgiving.

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Lawrence Guy is the nominee for the Patriots.

BROWNS: Tight end David Njoku, was placed on COVID-19 reserve and is a long shot to play Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Browns also activated longsnapper Charley Hughlett off COVID-19 reserve, and elevated tight end Miller Forristall from the practice squad to the active roster.

In regards to Njoku, other Browns players this season who were placed on COVID-19 reserve on a Tuesday, including Nick Chubb and Demetric Felton, didn’t make it back time for the game. As a vaccinated player, Njoku will need to test negative twice 24 hours apart to be eligible to play.

His deadline to be activated is Saturday at 4 p.m.

WASHINGTON: Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had arthroscopic surgery on his right hip, officially ending his chances of returning this season, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Fitzpatrick, 39, suffered a partial dislocation, or subluxation, of his hip in the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers and has been on injured reserve since. The initial projection was that he could return after six to eight weeks of rehab and avoid surgery. But in mid-November, it became clear that his odds of coming back were slim. An MRI exam showed “some progress” in his recovery, Coach Ron Rivera said, but not enough to get him back on the field.

“Unfortunately, not way up there, but it’s progress,” Rivera said Nov. 14. “So what he’ll do is he’ll continue to work, do his rehab stuff, and he’ll be reevaluated soon.”

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