On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced Baker Mayfield as their nominee for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. While the honor was celebrated in the Buccaneers locker room, what does a moment like that truly mean for the family that has been through a turbulent NFL journey?

Right after the announcement, Mayfield’s wife, Emily, dropped a poster on Instagram, writing, “THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT!”

This story featured a poster of the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation, which was launched in 2023 by the Bucs’ quarterback and his wife to support early childhood literacy. In another shared video, Emily and her child could be seen surprising him during the practice session on Friday.

She wrote, “BAKER’S FAMILY SURPRISES HIM AS OUR 2025 WPMOY NOMINEE.”

Meanwhile, head coach Todd Bowles confirmed the news in front of the whole team right after practice. Baker stood behind Bowles with a few teammates beside him. His reaction was instant. He closed his eyes like he couldn’t believe it, then slowly walked toward the middle of the huddle. His teammates cheered louder with every step.

After that, Baker tried to bring everyone together.

“Bring it in,” he said. “Come on, bring it in.” But before he could continue, Bowles cut in again. “Hold it! We have one more thing,” he said. “As a special guest, we’d like to bring up the family of Baker Mayfield.”

Emily was also there. She walked forward holding their 20-month-old daughter, Kova Jade, and the whole stadium’s energy shifted. Finally, Baker looked at his daughter and said, “Hi, Sweetie!” before finishing the moment like a captain.

“OK, guys, we know what we’ve got to do,” he said. “We execute, we do our job, we do our plan, we’re a damn good team. Keep doing it, men. Family on three!”

And just like that, the Bucs had their leader, their nominee, and a memory that will stick forever.

Baker Mayfield opened up about his award

After the announcement, Baker Mayfield made it clear this meant more than a trophy. “I think for both of us, it’s more than just a game,” he said.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, and to be able to give back to the community consistently, just try and make a difference. That’s what it’s all about. We have an unbelievable platform to try and set a good example for this little one and our next one on the way, and continue to do work where it matters.”

The Baker and Emily Mayfield Foundation already supports several meaningful causes in the city. Last month, Tampa Bay Business and Wealth named the foundation 2025 Philanthropist of the Year. And in November, they kicked off the “Passing the Joy Tampa” campaign to “spread joy, hope, and support to those in need this holiday season.”

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This commitment to giving back continues to grow. Their “BE the Ball” golf event in 2023 raised over $220,000 to support learning access for families. And earlier this year, they donated $50,000 to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay and $92,500 to five more local charities.

The league officially confirmed all 32 nominees on Thursday for the 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, honoring excellence both on and off the field. Each nominee will wear a special helmet decal for the rest of the season, and now Baker represents Tampa proudly.