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The National Football League has announced its 32 nominees, one from each organization, for the Salute to Service Award.
The award recognizes NFL players, coaches, staff and alumni who make exceptional efforts to honor and support the military and veteran communities, and Christian McCaffrey and Jim Harbaugh are among the nominees.
The San Francisco 49ers running back’s commitment to the military community stems from a deep respect for service and a belief in supporting mental and physical well-being. The McCaffrey Foundation’s flagship initiative, 23andTroops, focuses on healing post-traumatic stress using sports-level care. The foundation invested nearly $700,000 in military support and also reimbursed vacation pay for 515 military families.
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Christian McCaffrey and Jim Harbaugh are among the nominees for the NFL Salute to Service Award. (Cary Edmondson/Imagn Images. Denny Medley/Imagn Images)
McCaffrey also actively participates in Salute to Service, connecting with active duty service members, veterans and Gold Star families, and introduces 23andTroops through the league’s My Cause My Cleats initiative. He represented the Wounded Warrior Project in 2019 and 2020 and the Logan Project in each of the last two seasons.
Since taking over as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024, Harbaugh has hosted TAPS families at practices, welcomed Gold Star families to games and hosted team activities right on military bases and naval aircraft carriers. Prior to this season, Harbaugh hosted more than 2,500 military personnel, veterans and their families at two training camps at the University of San Diego.
He also invited members of the U.S. Coast Guard to participate in “Wise Words,” a tradition in which distinguished guests share an inspiring message during the post-practice team meeting. Later in the day, the entire team visited the USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, where hundreds of active-duty sailors watched the Chargers pass by, participated in drills, met with players and coaches, and gave the team a tour of the carrier.
Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh during a press conference at the Bolt in El Segundo CA, USA on May 7, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
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“Salute to Service Award nominees are extraordinary advocates for the military community, demonstrating the impact individuals can have in the lives of those who serve,” said Retired Maj. Gen. Bob Whittle, USAA senior vice president and chief of military affairs. “USAA and the NFL proudly celebrate these deserving nominees for honoring, empowering and connecting with those who have worn our country’s uniform, and we encourage fans around the world to join them in showing their appreciation.”
Other notables include 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year Andrew Whitworth, 2024 finalist Aaron Jones, Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson and Philadelphia Eagles game day supervisor Lindsay Hartig, a 2006 West Point graduate who served in Iraq and is the only woman nominated this year.
Hartig is one of four American veterans nominated for the award, alongside Luis Barajas, partnership marketing coordinator for the Denver Broncos, Fred Waggett, safety for the New England Patriots, and Kelvin Smith, director of network operations for the New Orleans Saints.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) celebrates his touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, October 19, 2025, in Santa Clara, California. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Fans can vote for the three finalists for the award, which will be announced in January. The winner will be revealed during NFL Honors during Super Bowl week.
George Kittle, last year’s recipient, will join the Salute to Service Award jury, recognizing the time-honored tradition of helping select the new recipient.
