Dak Prescott is in his ninth season as an NFL starting quarterback, but many noticed last year that the veteran quarterback has a new addition to his uniform for 2023. That comes in the form of a special, exclusive jersey patch.
Prescott has a uniform decal in the shape of the Walter Payton Man of the Year trophy that he continues to wear for 2024. He has earned the right to wear this after taking home the NFL's most prestigious honor in wake of the 2022 season.
And as long as Prescott is an active NFL player, he will be permitted to sport that patch on his jersey.
But how does the Walter Payton Man of the Year jersey patch work, and which players are allowed to wear it? Here's what to know about the jersey patches and helmet decals that will be on display during the 2023 NFL season.
Dak Prescott jersey patch, explained
Dak Prescott is among those wearing a Walter Payton Man of the Year patch because of an NFL rule that was instituted in 2017.
The NFL, wanting to bring attention to what the league considers its most prestigious award, 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. The patch comes in the shape of the Walter Payton trophy and is displayed on the top left side of the player's jersey.
In addition to the jersey patch, the NFL has special helmet decals that are given out to each team's nominee for the award once announced. Those nominations are typically revealed near the midpoint of the season.
Walter Payton Man of the Year winners by year
Prescott is the second most recent winner of the award and is one of four active NFL players who have earned the right to wear the jersey patch. The other three are Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson and Dolphins defensive end Calais Campbell, who won the award in 2023, 2020 and 2018 respectively.
Below is the full list of Walter Payton Man of the Year award winners dating back to 1970. There have been three years — 2000, 2006 and 2016 — where multiple players have won the award.
| Year | Player | Position | Team |
| 1970 | Johnny Unitas | Quarterback | Baltimore Colts |
| 1971 | John Hadl | Quarterback | San Diego Chargers |
| 1972 | Willie Lanier | Linebacker | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1973 | Len Dawson | Quarterback | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1974 | George Blanda | Quarterback | Oakland Raiders |
| 1975 | Ken Anderson | Quarterback | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1976 | Franco Harris | Running back | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1977 | Walter Payton | Running back | Chicago Bears |
| 1978 | Roger Staubach | Quarterback | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1979 | Joe Greene | Defensive tackle | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1980 | Harold Carmichael | Wide receiver | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1981 | Lynn Swann | Wide receiver | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1982 | Joe Theismann | Quarterback | Washington Redskins |
| 1983 | Rolf Benirschke | Kicker | San Diego Chargers |
| 1984 | Marty Lyons | Defensive tackle | New York Jets |
| 1985 | Dwight Stephenson | Center | Miami Dolphins |
| 1986 | Reggie Williams | Linebacker | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1987 | Dave Duerson | Safety | Chicago Bears |
| 1988 | Steve Largent | Wide receiver | Seattle Seahawks |
| 1989 | Warren Moon | Quarterback | Houston Oilers |
| 1990 | Mike Singletary | Linebacker | Chicago Bears |
| 1991 | Anthony Muñoz | Offensive tackle | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1992 | John Elway | Quarterback | Denver Broncos |
| 1993 | Derrick Thomas | Linebacker | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1994 | Junior Seau | Linebacker | San Diego Chargers |
| 1995 | Boomer Esiason | Quarterback | New York Jets |
| 1996 | Darrell Green | Cornerback | Washington Redskins |
| 1997 | Troy Aikman | Quarterback | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1998 | Dan Marino | Quarterback | Miami Dolphins |
| 1999 | Cris Carter | Wide receiver | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2000 | Derrick Brooks | Linebacker | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Jim Flanigan | Defensive tackle | Chicago Bears | |
| 2001 | Jerome Bettis | Running back | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 2002 | Troy Vincent | Cornerback | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2003 | Will Shields | Offensive guard | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2004 | Warrick Dunn | Running back | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2005 | Peyton Manning | Quarterback | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2006 | Drew Brees | Quarterback | New Orleans Saints |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | Running back | San Diego Chargers | |
| 2007 | Jason Taylor | Defensive end | Miami Dolphins |
| 2008 | Kurt Warner | Quarterback | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2009 | Brian Waters | Offensive guard | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2010 | Madieu Williams | Safety | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2011 | Matt Birk | Center | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2012 | Jason Witten | Tight end | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2013 | Charles Tillman | Cornerback | Chicago Bears |
| 2014 | Thomas Davis Sr. | Linebacker | Carolina Panthers |
| 2015 | Anquan Boldin | Wide receiver | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2016 | Larry Fitzgerald | Wide receiver | Arizona Cardinals |
| Eli Manning | Quarterback | New York Giants | |
| 2017 | J. J. Watt | Defensive end | Houston Texans |
| 2018 | Chris Long | Defensive end | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2019 | Calais Campbell | Defensive end | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 2020 | Russell Wilson | Quarterback | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2021 | Andrew Whitworth | Offensive tackle | Los Angeles Rams |
| 2022 | Dak Prescott | Quarterback | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2023 | Cam Heyward | Defensive tackle | Pittsburgh Steelers |