The Atlanta Falcons have nominated inside linebacker Kaden Elliss for the 2025 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. The NFL announced nominations from all teams on Wednesday. The award, established in 2014, honors players who demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship and is named after Art Rooney Sr., the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris spoke about Elliss’s nomination: “Kaden Elliss, that’s self-explanatory. The guy he is in our community. The guy he is for our team. He’s our captain. He’s one of the better people I’ve been around in my life, just in general, football or whatever. Just in all walks, all facets of life. You’re talking about a family man, talking about in our community, talking about in his community, his family, his brothers. It’s just a bunch of things where you can go into all those phases of it and make him that guy. For Kaden, it feels really normal and really great.”
According to the NFL’s announcement, a panel made up of former players Warrick Dunn, Larry Fitzgerald (the 2014 recipient), Curtis Martin (Pro Football Hall of Famer), and Leonard Wheeler will select eight finalists—four from each conference—from among the 32 nominees. These finalists will appear on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category during player voting in December.
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent commented on the significance of sportsmanship: “Sportsmanship is at the very core of the game, the foundation of our values that are shared across all levels of the sport. These Rooney Sportsmanship Award nominees demonstrate to the world how the game is played with respect and integrity at the highest level of competition.”
Elliss joined Atlanta in 2023 after playing four seasons with New Orleans Saints and was named a captain for Atlanta this season.
The Falcons ended a five-game losing streak with their Week 12 victory over New Orleans. After that game, teammate Divine Deablo credited Elliss for motivating their defense during challenging moments: “I love Kaden,” Deablo said. “He’s my captain. He can do everything in my eyes, and I appreciate him.”
Last year’s nominee from Atlanta was defensive tackle Grady Jarrett; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen won that year’s award. No Falcons player has yet received this honor.
