what is the caped figure on nfl jerseys

The caped figure on NFL jerseys is a silhouette of a football player wearing a sideline coat, meant to look like a cape. This patch was modeled after the trophy for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award, which is presented annually by the National Football League (NFL) honoring a players commitment to philanthropy and humanitarian contributions. The trophy was created in 1969 by artist Daniel Bennett Schwartz, depicting a nondescript caped lineman standing alone on the sidelines, outside of game action; it symbolizes that the award is intended to recognize any player, including one who may perform in a lower-profile playing position outside of the spotlight, whose humanitarian contributions and efforts are worthy. Since 2017, previous winners who are currently active in the league wear a patch depicting the trophy on their uniforms for the rest of their NFL careers. The patch comes in the shape of the Walter Payton trophy and is displayed on the top left side of the players jersey. The NFL wanted to bring attention to what the league considers its most prestigious award, and ruled that active players who have won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award are allowed to wear a special jersey patch calling attention to that award.