On Thursday, the first-ever Protector of the Year award will be given out, honoring the league's most outstanding offensive lineman over the 2025 NFL season.
The six finalists -- two tackles, two guards and two centers -- are:
- Garett Bolles, LT, Denver Broncos
- Aaron Brewer, C, Miami Dolphins
- Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City Chiefs
- Quinn Meinerz, RG, Denver Broncos
- Penei Sewell, RG, Detroit Lions
- Joe Thuney, LG, Chicago Bears
The winner -- determined by a selection committee of NFL Legends -- will be announced at NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 5 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. The awards show will air at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and NFL Network, with streaming available on Peacock and NFL+. While we wait, we ask the question:
Who should win the inaugural Protector of the Year award?
Eric Edholm: Penei Sewell, RT, Detroit Lions. It was not the Lions' best season in 2025, but don't blame Sewell. I think he's a generational right tackle, and even though Detroit's offense was less potent than it was in the previous two seasons, Sewell was at the top of his game. Two sacks allowed (per Pro Football Focus) and two penalties in 16 games screams elite. Sewell dealt with persistent ankle issues all season, as well as other injuries, but he still dominated at his position. He'd be an inspired inaugural winner for this award.
Marc Ross: Garett Bolles, LT, Denver Broncos. All of these players are worthy, but the left tackle position is by far the most difficult and stressful -- your job is to protect the quarterback's blind side, often while on an island against the opponent's best pass rusher. Bolles was exceptional for the Broncos in 2025, grading out as the fourth-best overall tackle and the best in pass blocking, per PFF, which credited him with not allowing a single sack in 676 regular-season pass-blocking snaps. Production like that at a position with such a high degree of difficulty is why he gets my vote.
Jack Andrade: Joe Thuney, LG, Chicago Bears. He was the biggest piece of a massively successful offensive line overhaul in Chicago in 2025. In the regular season, the Bears led the NFL in success rate on run plays (48.1%) and averaged the second-most yards before contact per carry (1.8), according to Next Gen Stats. Thuney was credited with zero sacks allowed by both PFF and NGS, with his 643 regular-season pass-blocking snaps counting as the most logged by any player without a sack allowed (NGS). The shutout he pitched is made even more impressive by the fact that Caleb Williams-- as one of the NFL's best playmakers on extended dropbacks -- had the longest average time to throw among qualified passers (3.2 seconds) during the regular season and threw more passes on extended dropbacks (94) and scramble plays (79) than any other player.
Keegan Abdoo: Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City Chiefs. Yes, the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade -- but Humphrey had another standout year. He was one of the only pieces of consistency on the best short-yardage offense in football, and he continued his excellence in pass protection. Humphrey allowed just two quick pressures all season, the lowest rate of any interior offensive lineman (0.3%) with a minimum of 500 pass-blocking snaps, per NGS, with his average pressure allowed occurring 4.34 seconds after the snap. No other qualifying player in the league had a time to pressure allowed over 4 seconds.
Nick Shook: Penei Sewell, RT, Detroit Lions. Despite Detroit's struggles, Sewell climbed into rare air occupied only by Trent Williams in 2025. No tackle has been more reliable than Sewell over the last three seasons; Sewell earned first-place offensive grades among all tackles in two of his last three campaigns and landed in the top four in all three, per PFF. He's been the rock-solid protector of Jared Goff on the right side, helping the quarterback post his third straight 4,500-plus passing-yard season despite operating an offense that struggled to the point that coach Dan Campbell dismissed coordinator John Morton in January. As the Lions weathered changes along the offensive line (due to injury and Frank Ragnow's retirement), Sewell's performance in 2025 became even more essential, stabilizing one side of a line that was less dependable than it had been in recent years. He was responsible for just two sacks and less than 20 pressures, according to PFF, committed just two penalties and confirmed his standing as an elite tackle in the NFL. With new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing arriving to get the unit back on track, Sewell will continue to be a vital part of the offense and should be expected to continue playing like the elite tackle he's proven himself to be.
Mike Band: Garett Bolles, LT, Denver Broncos. His ninth season was truly a career year. Bolles' pressure-allowed rate (5.9%) was the best among left tackles with 500-plus pass-blocking snaps, per NGS, and he allowed just two sacks, all while living on an island: He faced 540 one-on-one matchups, the second-most of any offensive lineman. What separates him is how long he stayed connected to the play and kept the pocket livable for Bo Nix when chaos hit. Even on dropbacks that lasted longer than four seconds (the danger zone where pressure usually becomes inevitable), Bolles still allowed a pressure rate of just 11.6% pressure rate, making him the only qualifying left tackle to keep that mark under 15% all season. That kind protection quietly unlocked Nix once plays broke down, helping the QB spin positive outcomes from potentially disastrous moments. And it wasn’t just pass pro: Bolles' consistency up front helped stabilize a ground game that was effective regardless of who was carrying the ball.
David Carr: Joe Thuney, LG, Chicago Bears. First and foremost, I'm a big fan of this award because there's finally a light on the guys who do the dirty work for the star quarterbacks of the league. These players don't get the fantasy shine or national attention; rather, they simply produce when they're on the field. So, while there are multiple great options for this honor, I'm leaning toward Thuney, who didn't give up a sack all season and garnered PFF's top pass-blocking grade at the guard position. His versatility even allowed the Bears to swing him out to left tackle as an injury replacement in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Maurice Jones-Drew: Penei Sewell, RT, Detroit Lions. All six of these players deserve their flowers for numerous reasons, but my vote goes to Sewell because he's the best all-around player in my opinion. He allowed just two sacks and committed only two penalties in 2025, and let's give him credit for being named PFF's top run-blocking tackle. That aspect of an O-lineman's game often goes overlooked. But not by me, someone who used to rely on the big guys up front to open holes at the line of scrimmage. I ran behind some great linemen, and I would've loved to run behind a line with Sewell at tackle.
Dante Koplowitz-Fleming: Joe Thuney, LG, Chicago Bears. Thuney has bolstered every unit he has played on in his career. A third-round pick out of UNC by the Patriots in 2016, Thuney started every game for that year's Super Bowl champions as a rookie. After winning two Super Bowls in New England, Thuney signed with the Chiefs and immediately made an impact, serving as a key part of two more Super Bowl victories for Kansas City. Last offseason, Thuney was traded to the Bears and again instantly solidified a formerly shaky offensive line. Aside from the team success Thuney has enjoyed throughout his career, the first-team All-Pro guard was the ultimate protector for the Bears this season. According to Next Gen Stats, Thuney did not allow a single sack on 740 pass-blocking snaps, including playoffs (he registered 643 pass-blocking snaps in the regular season). Sometimes a stat speaks for itself without any additional context, but I'll offer some, regardless: No other player had at least 640 pass-blocking snaps without allowing a sack. Broncos center Luke Wattenberg (630 snaps without a sack, also including playoffs) ranked second in that regard in 2025. The next-best number by a guard belongs to Quenton Nelson, who had 590 snaps in pass protection and did not allow a sack. Thuney protected Caleb Williams and was a key cog in the Bears' top-five rushing offense.