The Atlanta Falcons have nominated inside linebacker Kaden Elliss for the 2025 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. The NFL announced the 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 founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris commented on 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 league’s announcement, a panel made up of former NFL players Warrick Dunn, Larry Fitzgerald (the 2014 recipient), Curtis Martin (a Pro Football Hall of Famer), and Leonard Wheeler will select eight finalists from among the 32 nominees—four from each conference. These finalists will appear on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote in December.
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent stated: “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 and was named a team captain this season for the first time since joining the Falcons.
The Falcons recently ended a five-game losing streak by defeating New Orleans in Week 12. After that win, teammate Divine Deablo praised Elliss’s leadership 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 last year’s award. No player from Atlanta has ever received this honor.
