The NFL just announced all the nominees for the league’s end-of-year award show, NFL Honors. At one point during the 2025 season, the Indianapolis Colts appeared to be the favorites for several cornerstone achievements. Midway through the year, Jonathan Taylor was a legitimate MVP candidate, Daniel Jones was making a solidcase for comeback player of the year, Tyler Warren was firmly in play for offensive rookie of the year, and Shane Stiechen was a leading candidate for coach of the year. Given how the season progressed, none of those Colts remain in any of those categories at this point. While their omissions from those nomination lists make sense given how the season progressed, there is one Colt who was just snubbed from a brand-new award that has fans scratching their heads.
While MVP, OPOY, COY, and more have been cemented as honored decorations, the NFL announced a new achievement before the 2025 season. The league unveiled Protector of the Year to appreciate the league’s best offensive lineman. The announcement of the winner will feature at NFL Honors held on February 5 ahead of Super Bowl LX.
Troy Vincent gives credit to Bills OL Dion Dawkins and Andrew Whitworth for pushing this idea.
Among the nominees for Protector of the Year are Broncos offensive tackle Garrett Bolles, Dolphins center Aaron Brewer, Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, Broncos offensive guard Quinn Meinerz, Bears offensive guard Joe Thuney, and Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Noticeably missing from that list is the Indianapolis Colts main staple guard, Quenton Nelson.
Quenton Nelson Listed Among the League’s Best Protectors according to PFF
GettyIndianapolis Colts quard Quenton Nelson only allowed a single sack in 1039 offensive snaps played in 2025.
In 2025, Quenton Nelson ranked among the league’s top offensive linemen. Nelson anchored the Colts’ second-ranked offensive line unit, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF had Nelson ranked fourth among all offensive guards with an 84.5 overall grade. Nelson was also named a second-team All-Pro for his performance. 2025 will mark the sixth time Nelson has earned that honor. Nelson also became the first Colts player since Peyton Manning to be nominated to eight straight Pro Bowls, while becoming the first in franchise history to start their career with that many consecutive trips.
While the other candidates are certainly deserving of the achievement, Nelson’s exclusion from the list is certainly notable.
Quenton Nelson Expressed Frustration over the Colts Revolving Door at QB
In Quenton Nelson’s first eight years with the team, he has blocked for 14 different starting quarterbacks, ranging from Andrew Luck to Riley Leonard. Heading into the season, Nelson shared his frustration with the team’s revolving door at signal caller.
When asked if he was bothered by the consistent change at quarterback, Nelson answered, “I would say so. I think I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t. You look around the league and see just the consistency of having, like, Patrick Mahomes or a quarterback behind you that’s been the franchise player for years and years and years. Getting to build that chemistry with that quarterback year after year is something that there is an advantage to when it comes to line play.”
Now, following a season where Daniel Jones shared glimpses of being the franchise quarterback, the team is looking to establish him at the top of the organization. Jones is a free agent and coming off an Achilles injury, but Colts general manager Chris Ballard has been optimistic about his availability for next year and his chances of returning to the team.
In Ballard’s end-of-year press conference, he finished his remarks with, “I think Daniel Jones has a really bright future here in Indianapolis.”
NFL Announces Decision Affecting Colts All-Pro Quenton Nelson