You know that feeling when you're watching RedZone on a Sunday afternoon and some random rookie receiver goes absolutely nuclear for 150 yards and three touchdowns? Suddenly, your Twitter feed is a war zone of "HE'S THE GOAT" and "FEED THIS MAN." Well, for about 23 years now, the NFL has had a very specific way of bottling that hype. It's called the FedEx Air Player of the Week.
Honestly, though, if you haven't checked in on this award lately, things look a lot different than they did back in the day. It used to be simple: one quarterback (the "Air" guy) and one running back (the "Ground" guy). Easy. But the league is changing. Offenses are getting more creative, and FedEx finally realized that just giving trophies to QBs and RBs was kinda leaving out the guys actually doing the catching.
The Big 2024 Shift (And Why It Matters Now)
Starting in 2024 and carrying straight through this 2025-26 season, the "Air" and "Ground" labels got a major facelift. It’s not just a quarterback's world anymore. Now, wide receivers and tight ends are in the mix.
Basically, the NFL threw the old playbook out. Instead of picking one QB and one RB, they now nominate six total players based on who had the most insane stats from Thursday to Monday. Fans vote for two winners. Just two. It doesn’t matter if they’re both quarterbacks or a receiver and a running back. If they balled out, they’re eligible.
Take Ja’Marr Chase, for instance. Last year, he made history as the first receiver to win the FedEx Air and Ground Player of the Year award. He didn't just win a weekly honor; he took the whole season crown. Seeing a WR stand on that stage at the NFL Honors next to guys like Josh Allen? That was a "the future is here" moment.
More Than Just a Shiny Plastic Trophy
I think people forget that this isn't just about bragging rights on Instagram. There’s a massive charitable component that actually does some good in the real world.
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For the 2025-26 season, FedEx teamed up with Feeding America. Every time a player wins the weekly award, FedEx drops $2,000 into a local food bank in that player's city. Since there are two winners every week, that’s $4,000 going toward fighting food insecurity every single time the fans finish voting.
If you do the math—and I’m no math whiz, but the numbers are public—FedEx has pumped nearly $3 million into various charities since this program started back in 2003.
Wait, who actually wins these things?
Just look at some of the guys who’ve been cleaning up lately:
- Bo Nix: The Broncos QB has been a frequent flier on the ballot, recently bagging his third career win after a four-TD masterclass against the Packers.
- Jordan Love: He’s become a fan favorite in Green Bay, winning Week 8 and Week 13 this season. That Thanksgiving performance against the Lions? Pure magic.
- The Rookies: We’re seeing guys like Cam Skattebo (Giants) and Jacory Croskey-Merritt (Commanders) steal votes away from established vets. Skattebo’s three-touchdown game against the Eagles made him the first Giants rookie to do that since 1971.
How the Voting Actually Works (The "Secret" Sauce)
If you want your favorite player to win, you can’t just yell into the void. The window is tight. Voting usually opens Monday morning after the Sunday slate and closes Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. ET.
You've basically got three ways to make it happen:
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- The Official Site: NFL.com/FedEx.
- The App: The NFL Mobile App has a direct portal.
- The Bird App (X): The official @NFL account posts polls.
What’s wild is how much the teams get into it. You’ll see official team accounts practically begging for votes, which sounds thirsty until you realize that winning also nets that $2,000 for their local community. It’s one of the few times "fan-voting" actually feels like it has a soul.
Why Some People Hate Fan-Voted Awards
Look, let’s be real for a second. Fan voting is a popularity contest.
If a Dallas Cowboys player has a "pretty good" game and a Jacksonville Jaguars player has a "legendary" game, the Cowboy might still win because their fan base is massive. It’s the flaw in the system. NFL purists sometimes argue that "Air Player of the Week" should be decided by Next Gen Stats or a panel of scouts to ensure the most skilled performance wins, not just the most famous one.
But honestly? That misses the point. The FedEx awards are about the hype. They’re about the conversation you have at the water cooler on Monday morning. They celebrate the guys who made you jump off your couch.
The Road to the NFL Honors
All these weekly wins build toward the FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year.
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This is the big one. The nominees are announced right before the Super Bowl. For the 2026 ceremony in San Francisco, we're looking at a stacked field. Josh Allen is a finalist again (shocker, I know), having just become the fastest player in history to hit 300 total touchdowns. He's up against guys like Jonathan Taylor and Christian McCaffrey.
New for 2026, FedEx is actually giving out three trophies at the NFL Honors: one for QBs, one for RBs, and one for the WR/TE group. It’s about time.
How to Use the FedEx Air Player of the Week Info
If you're a fantasy football nerd or just a die-hard fan, watching these nominations can actually tell you a lot about "momentum."
- Track the Snubs: Sometimes a player gets nominated three weeks in a row but doesn't win. That usually means a massive "breakout" game is coming where the fans finally give them their due.
- Check the Matchups: Players who win the award often see a "bump" in their confidence (or at least their target share).
- Support the Cause: Even if you don't care who wins, clicking a button to ensure $2,000 goes to a food bank is probably the easiest "good deed" you'll do all week.
To stay on top of the race, set a reminder for Monday afternoons. That’s when the NFL drops the list of six nominees. Watch the highlights, check the stats, and cast your vote before the Wednesday deadline. It’s a small way to have a say in the league’s history—and help some people out in the process.
To see the current leaders or cast your vote for the next round, head over to the official NFL voting portal or check the latest updates on the NFL Mobile app during the regular season.