The Cincinnati Bengals announced that center Ted Karras has been selected as the team's club winner for the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide. The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide is the league's most prestigious honor, recognizing players who excel on the field and demonstrate a commitment to making a positive impact beyond the game.

Karras helped officially launch The Cincy Hat Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing education and infrastructure to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the Cincinnati area, in October 2024. The initiative further established his long-lasting commitment to supporting adults with IDD, which first became widely publicized in 2022 when he began selling his fan-favorite Cincy Hat to benefit Village of Merici, a living community and service provider based in his hometown of Indianapolis.

"The Cincy Hat Foundation means the world to me," said Karras. "None of this would be possible without the incredible people of Cincinnati who continue to show up, support, and believe in our mission. Due to that overwhelming generosity, we're expanding educational opportunities, increasing independence and building affordable infrastructure for adults with IDD here at home. I'm proud of what we've built and even more excited for what's ahead."

Karras also was the Bengals' club winner for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2023, and by winning the fan vote in Nationwide's Charity Challenge that year, he received an additional $35,000 donation for Village of Merici. To date, over 100,000 Cincy Hats have been sold, generating over $3.3 million in revenue. This past year, The Cincy Hat Foundation collaborated with over 150 businesses, nonprofits and schools, which has helped turn a once viral fashion trend into an enduring fundraising mechanism for local initiatives.

Among the foundation's many notable partnerships is a scholarship commitment through the University of Cincinnati's Transition and Access Pathways (TAP) program. Beginning this year, Karras is supporting two young women with full-ride scholarships as they pursue a transformative four-year college experience. Inspired by their academic journey and his belief in the power of education, Karras released two special-edition hats titled "The Jessica" and "The Mariah," with proceeds directly benefitting the TAP program.

The momentum of The Cincy Hat Foundation has allowed Karras to explore opportunities for affordable housing infrastructure in the Cincinnati region. While the ultimate goal remains to build a portfolio of independent living opportunities for adults with IDD, the first development is scheduled to kick off in the spring of 2026 in nearby Madisonville, Ohio. Karras is helping get that project off the ground with a personal $500,000 donation to what will be known as "The Cincy Hat House."

"Ted has passionately supported adults with intellectual developmental disabilities for his entire 10-year career," said Matt Renie, Executive Director of The Cincy Hat Foundation. "That passion has reached new heights through our Cincy Hat journey, and he really sees this as his life's mission — to help provide affordable housing to this underserved group. To see him use his platform for good has been incredibly special."

Through The Cincy Hat Foundation's mission, Karras has consistently leveraged his platform as an NFL player, NFLPA executive member and Bengals team captain to help inspire social change. He has generated over $220,000 in personal brand sponsorships in 2025, the entirety of which has gone directly to the foundation.

All 32 club winners will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LX in the Bay Area. The national winner of the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special airing on Thursday, Feb. 5.

Each of this year's club winners supports a range of causes and initiatives off the field, including uplifting underserved communities, empowering young people to lead healthy lifestyles and many other notable causes. The charitable beneficiary of each team's club winner will receive $40,000, and the nonprofit chosen by the overall national winner will receive up to $250,000. All funds are donations courtesy of the NFL Foundation and the Nationwide Foundation.

Fans are once again encouraged to participate in Nationwide's annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows fans to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year club winner. Fans can vote on X/Twitter by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the last name/X handle of their chosen player 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 December 4 through January 5, 2026.

Beginning Week 14 and continuing through the end of the season, Karras along with each of this year's club winners will wear a special Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal in recognition of their accomplishments on and off the field.

For more information about the award, please visit NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.