Each year, every NFL team's chapter for the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) nominates two players as their picks for team MVP and media Good Guy.
The Los Angeles Chargers' chapter of PFWA members, Gilbert Manzano (Southern California News Group,) Jeff Miller (Los Angeles Times,) Daniel Popper (The Athletic,) Fernando Ramirez (Sports Illustrated,) and Joe Reedy (Associated Press,) each voted for three individuals per award based on a 1-3-5 scale: first place worth five points, second place worth three, and third place gets one.
After tabulation, the group named Justin Herbert the team MVP and Hunter Henry as the Bolts' Good Guy.
Team MVP is as stated, the most valuable player on the squad. For the writers, Herbert was the unanimous pick.
"Herbert is having, in my opinion, the greatest rookie quarterbacking season in NFL history," Popper said. "To do that after an abbreviated offseason is remarkable, bordering on unbelievable. The Chargers have a top-10 passing offense this year, and Herbert is the primary reason why. He has been the team's best and most impactful player — though Joey Bosa is a close second."
The Good Guy award represents a player or coach's professionalism and qualities in helping media members who cover the team do their jobs to the best of their abilities. In a year unlike any other, multiple Chargers players and coaches earned votes by demonstrating high character even in a virtual setting.
"In a year in which interviews were mostly confined to group Zoom press conferences, it was good to see eight players/coaches receive (Good Guy) votes," Reedy said. "We welcome the day post-COVID-19 when interviews and player/coach access returns to normal, but many thanks go to the Chargers PR staff for their help in arranging interviews and their assistance throughout in what was a challenging year for everyone."
While multiple members of the Bolts earned Good Guy votes, his "thoughtful" and "truthful" answers according to Ramirez earned Henry the honor.
"The telling thing about this team is that so many different people received votes for the 'Good Guy' award," mentioned Miller. "I mean, on many teams, someone like Austin Ekeler - accessible, thoughtful, relentlessly decent - would have been the runaway winner. Hunter emerged as the king of the Zoom call ... He's one of those players who could win this type of award probably every season he's in the league."
"Win or lose, Hunter Henry was always available to the media this season," Manzano said. "He was genuine and thoughtful with his responses even after heartbreaking losses. It's no surprise he was voted a team captain this season. Henry isn't new to making the media's job easier. He had lengthy one-on-one interviews with reporters when the locker room was open in years past. He's a big reason why many notable team nuggets are shared with our readers and Chargers fans."
